Three arrested for facilitating fraudulent sales of Palestinian land to settlers

[Israeli]

Police suspect that the three falsified documents, including consent forms for transactions worth millions of shekels.

The Serious and International Crime Unit on Monday arrested three Jerusalem residents in connection with the fraudulent sale of private Palestinian property in the West Bank.

Two of the suspects were remanded until later this week and a third suspect was released to house arrest. Their names have been withheld until charges are filed against them.

Police suspect that the three, two of whom are attorneys, falsified documents, including consent forms, in the sale of Palestinian property to organizations that deal with real estate in Judea and Samaria. At issue were transactions worth millions of shekels, primarily in the Binyamin region.

Suspicions about the three were raised in land sale cases that appeared before the High Court of Justice. The question of property ownership is often at the heart of many High Court cases involving unauthorized construction.

continued @ http://www.jpost.com/Arab-Israeli-Conflict/Three-arrested-for-facilitating-fraudulent-sales-of-Palestinian-property-to-Jewish-groups-390539

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

1. How often does this happen, Israeli?

It seems that one would expect the Palestinians to just lose out through the land being confiscated or the such.

Why go to the need for the fraud when just pushing the Palestinians out is so much easier?

[Israeli]

4. Which ...

the arrests or the frauds ?

" Why go to the need for the fraud when just pushing the Palestinians out is so much easier? "

Its a good question , why do you think ?
The right wing settlers dont run this country RDO ....not yet anyhow .

The frauds have been going on as long as the occupation has .

Its very well documented and reported on, probably the best known is Talia Sasson's
see : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sasson_Report

Or just read these :

http://www.haaretz.com/weekend/magazine/the-settler-behind-shadowy-purchases-of-palestinian-land-in-the-west-bank.premium-1.435253

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/.premium-1.574421

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/israeli-court-orders-settlers-to-return-land-to-palestinian-owners.premium-1.513829

[Jefferson23]

2. NGO buys West Bank lands using forged documents

Police arrested three suspects on Monday who are allegedly involved in a scheme to buy lands in the West Bank using forged documents and without the consent of the Palestinian land owners.

Police suspects at least ten deals worth millions of shekels were made using forged documents, with settlers from the Ulpana neighborhood, Migron, Amona and Givat Asaf taking over the land after the deals were finalized.



An investigation was launched following petitions that were filed to the Supreme Court against some of the deal, which claimed tha lands were sold to an NGO operating in the West Bank without the consent of the Palestinian land owners.



The suspects allegedly used the forged documents to create the false impression the land owners have agreed to the sale.

While the case is still ongoing in court, State Prosecutor Shai Nitzan asked the head of Police Investigations and Intelligence Department to open an investigation into the case.


Following a covert investigation of the Lahav 443 Unit (an Israeli equivalent to the FBI) and the Judea and Samaria District Police, the police on Monday raided the offices of the three suspects and seized documents and computers.


The three suspects were allegedly involved in transferring ownership of lands from their Palestinian owners to the Al-Watan NGO, a part of the Amana Settlement Movement, which buys lands in the West Bank for the construction of Jewish settlements.


The NGO was given an Arab name to keep the Palestinian land owners remain oblivious to the fact they were selling their lands to Jews, particularly since the Palestinian Authority has threatened to sentence to death anyone who sells lands to Jews. For this reason, the deal is made through Arab straw men, when the buyer himself is not always aware of the fact he's buying the land for Jews.



The three suspects - a Jewish lawyer, an Arab lawyer and an Arab realtor - are all from Jerusalem. The remand of one of the suspects was extended in four days, the remand of another was extended in two days and the third suspect was sent to a five-day house arrest. Police said it might make additional arrests.

in full: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4625061,00.html

[King_David]

3. Lucky it is only an arrest though , usually there's a death sentence for selling to Jews

Any Jews, settlers or not.


Abbas toughens law against Palestinians selling land to Jews
Following East Jerusalem acquisitions, PA ups penalty to hard labor for life; Fatah spokesman calls land solicitors ‘traitors destined to die a humiliating death’


http://www.timesofisrael.com/abbas-toughens-law-against-palestinians-selling-land-to-jews/