PA temporarily bars Arab Israelis from land transactions after settlers buy homes near Jericho

The Palestinian Authority temporarily suspended land registration transactions for Israeli citizens and Jerusalem residents after Jewish activists purchased eight homes near Jericho. The suspension, now lifted, marks a rare formal distinction between Arab Israelis and Palestinians under PA jurisdiction. The homes are in Area C, raising legal questions about PA authority over Israeli citizens.

The Palestinian Authority temporarily suspended land registration transactions for people holding Israeli citizenship or Jerusalem residency, following the purchase of eight homes by Jewish activists near Jericho. The suspension, which has since been lifted, marks one of the first instances in which the PA has formally distinguished Arab Israelis from Palestinians living under its jurisdiction. Palestinian law treats the sale or lease of land to Israeli Jews as an act of treason, carrying penalties including life imprisonment with hard labor and potentially the death penalty. Lt.-Col. (res.) Maurice Hirsch, director of the Initiative for Palestinian Authority Accountability and Reform at the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, argued that the PA likely believed the Israeli Jews had acquired the homes with the assistance of Arab Israelis. The location of the homes is significant: although Jericho is in Area A, the properties are in Area C, under full Israeli control, raising questions about the PA's authority to investigate or prosecute Israeli citizens in connection with the purchases.