Dodgy land deals by Arabs irk Palestinians
PALESTINIANS have long complained about a lack of Arab solidarity for their cause, but the involvement of Israeli-Arabs, or Palestinians with Israeli citizenship, forging documents to steal Palestinian land in the Israeli-occupied West Bank is another bitter pill to swallow.
This follows the involvement of Israeli-Arabs playing for Israeli football teams, which have been playing matches against the international football association Fifa’s rules in Israel’s illegal settlements in the occupied territory.
Israeli police on Tuesday arrested four Israeli-Arabs in the Arab towns of Tira and Jaljulia in northern Israel on suspicion they forged documents enabling the theft of the Palestinian land.
The investigation, opened about two months ago, following complaints by the Israel Defence Force Civil Administration, involving the forgery of documents from a series of West Bank land deals, the Israeli daily Haaretz reported yesterday.
The four men are alleged to have forged documents to transfer the title of the deeds in question. One of the suspects is a lawyer. “Lawyers and brokers had the sides sign the land deals without proof of legal ownership of the land,” the Israeli police in the West Bank said.
The investigation was opened after the suspects asked the civil administration to transfer titles of land they had tried to sell in their name.
However, it was subsequently discovered that the properties belonged to West Bank Palestinians and not the suspects, who had planned to sell the properties to Israeli settlers.
One of the suspects was released on bail, while the police are seeking to extend the custody of three others in detention.
Meanwhile, as Fifa battles controversy over failing to censure Israeli football teams playing in Israel’s illegal settlements in the West Bank, it has come to light that a number of the football players are Israeli-Arabs.
Fifa rules state that football teams cannot play on the territory of another nation, without the specific permission of that nation.
The Palestine Football Association has been pushing Fifa to take action against the Israel Football Association due to this violation, as well as restrictions imposed on Palestinian footballers by the Israeli authorities.
Hapoel Katamon is one Israeli soccer team in which both Palestinians and Israeli settlers play, with some of their tournaments taking place in the Israeli settlements.
Israeli-Arabs, although a minority in the Israeli teams, have also represented the Israel national football team in international competitions. ANA