Israeli police have detailed the conclusions of their investigation into the illegal West Bank settlement of Amona, confirming that the entire settlement is built on privately owned Palestinian land.
Amona was built in 1995 without Israeli government permission, and the High Court ruled it illegal even under Israeli law in 2006, though the Netanyahu government has long resisted demolishing it.
According to police, the settler organization al-Watan, which buys Palestinian land for settlements, actually forged all the ownership documents associated with Amona, and the site was built on property owned by Palestinians from nearby Silwad.
The Silwad residents have struggled under Israeli occupation, with much of their farmland blocked by the Israeli military. It was some of this farmland, near the Ofra settlement, that became Amona.
Can anyone find anything there which wasn't stolen, including land given by the U.N. which it never purchased or owned… That whole enterprise needs a title search………..
will be interesting to see what the Israeli government and the settlers do here . It seems to me the settlers owe some back rent . Forged deeds and documents are no good most places . I don't like to see the building demolished like they were in Gaza . Maybe the Palestinian landowners will agree to accept some of the improvements for some of the back rent owed them . It is extreamly important that the settlers treat these Palestinian niehbors right . Honesty in your business dealings is the most important . When your wrong you have to make it right . I think the Jewish settlers are some pretty tough guys but I believe they will do what is right
"…but I believe they will do what is right…"
Seriously? They've given no evidence of doing what is right when it comes to the Palestinians and their land. And Netanyahoo is not going to remove the Israeli land thieves from the settlement nor demand restitution to the Palestinians, nor prosecute those responsible – even though the courts declared it illegal in 2006.
"but I believe they will do what is right"
Seriously". On what planet have you been living? Not even the division of Palestine by the UN in 1947 was right but I don't think the beneficiaries care about that and certainly haven't done what's right since then.
Yeah, the UN let loose an evasive species inside the Palestinians territories, and this is the end result…..vanished, just like Native American.
Move the Israelies out and let the Palestinians back on their own land WITH buildings and services intact! We often hear the comment that it has been built on! So What! Move the illegal settlers out and let the owners of the land back in!
Now there are precedents for this and Jewish ones at that, all over the World, return of Stolen Jewish Property taken by WWII Nazis. Art works worth millions have been returned to the families of victims of the Nazi caused Holocaust! Property stolen during War should be returned!
Oh and for those that think that Israel was there first because that's what it says in the Bible, guess again the Phillistines were there before Abraham, and Palestine is in fact Greek for Phillistine!
Israel has dropped its request for Pollard to be released. it is now demanding that Bernie Madoff be set free and allowed to migrate to Israel in order to become the Register of Deeds.
One subject that I find is little discussed is the huge Real Estate profits that are made in the illegal development of stolen Palestinian land. Some of these companies may even be American. An article exposing this is sorely needed.
Palestinian issue narrowed down to a small settlement called Amona.
What else is new?.
and the hypocritical, spineless world stands by and does nothing as usual…………………….