Palestine Mufti bans accepting compensation for property confiscated by Israel

The Grand Mufti of Jerusalem and the Palestinian territories, Sheikh Mohammed Hussein, yesterday said that taking financial compensation for Palestinian property confiscated by Israel is “forbidden”.

Hussein explained in his fatwa, religious edict, that taking compensation for land confiscated by Israel constitutes “an approval for the Israeli occupation’s confiscation of the land”, asking Palestinians who have lost their land or properties to be patient.

According to the fatwa: “Palestine is endowment land and therefore it is forbidden to sell any part of it to the enemies, because according to Islamic law, it is public property and not a private property.”

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In April, the Palestinian General Intelligence Service in Ramallah arrested a network of brokers in several governorates who sell Palestinian land to Israel.

The agency called on the Palestinians to be vigilant about any sale contracts.

Mass demonstrations broke out late last year after the Greek Orthodox Church leaders sold several church properties to Jewish settlement associations in Jerusalem .