Israel Lands Authority orders land sold to Israeli Arab family despite Jewish town's opposition
Monday May 10, 2004
By RAMIT PLUSHNICK-MASTI
Associated Press Writer
JERUSALEM (AP) An Israeli Arab family will be allowed to purchase a plot of land in a Jewish community after a nine-year legal battle, attorneys and relatives said Monday, despite yet another court appeal.
Jewish residents of Katzir objected to the sale, arguing that Adel Kaadan and his family would not fit into their town. Kaadan, a nurse, said he sought to buy the land to improve his family's quality of life.
In a letter last week, the Israel Lands Authority ordered the land sold to the Kaadan family at its 1995 asking price.
But in a last-ditch attempt to prevent the Kaadans from moving to Katzir, the town appealed to the Supreme Court on Monday, saying the family had failed to meet the selection committee's criteria.
Kaadan is already designing his new house. He said the 7,535-square-foot plot of land was sold for $16,000 in 1995.
``I am very happy because this is the country's democratic process ... They did an injustice to a person who had done no injustice, just because he is Arab,'' said Kaadan, 49.
Israeli Arabs remained in their homes during the 1948-49 war that followed Israel's creation. They make up about 20 percent of Israel's population, but have suffered from discrimination. Many Israeli Arabs live in dilapidated towns with poor community services.
Nearly all Israeli towns are either Jewish or Arab. In the few cities where Jews and Arabs both live including Jerusalem and Haifa they have separate neighborhoods.
Over the years, the Lands Authority, the Jewish Agency and the Katzir municipality have tried to prevent the Kaadan family from moving to the town, claiming Katzir, located in northern Israel near the West Bank, is a Jewish community. A landmark Supreme Court ruling rejected the argument as discriminatory.
However, since that ruling the various authorities have avoided selling the Kaadans land in Katzir. The Katzir selection committee rejected the Kaadans, saying they ``would not be able to integrate socially,'' according to the Association for Civil Rights in Israel, working on Kaadan's behalf.
The Association for Civil Rights in Israel petitioned again to Israel's highest court, and the hearing was supposed to be held Monday. However, the Lands Authority letter put an end to the process.
But Katzir Mayor Yaakov Amor said the letter was not the final word. The association which represents the town's 340 families appealed to the Supreme Court on grounds the Kaadan family did not pass the proper selection process.
In addition, the Lands Authority letter says the Kaadan family will have to pay development costs including the road paved to the site which could cost thousands of dollars. Amor said he didn't believe the Kaadan family would agree to these terms.
Kaadan, however, brushed aside the new court appeal and the development costs, saying he was determined to build his house in Katzir and would come to an agreement over the costs.
Although Kaadan is concerned his four daughters could face some difficulties in the Katzir school, he said most families in the town are more interested in living peacefully than fighting against one Arab family.
(Copyright 2004 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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