Arutz7, June 26th 2022
Arab community leaders no longer allowed to vouch for property title.
Last Friday, the Justice Ministry abolished the “Mukhtar Protocol,” an important move in favor of genuine property rights and one which will go a long way toward stopping illegal Arab construction in Jerusalem.
According to Regavim, the Mukhtar Protocol was “one of the most corrupt, discriminatory procedures enforced by the State of Israel. In a nutshell, this longstanding procedural practice, which was used to establish ownership and as the basis for construction permits and other legal processes, replaced the requirement for documented proof of ownership with the say-so of local village “experts.” In East Jerusalem, the testimony of al local village chief (mukhtar) sufficed, as opposed to the burden of proof – actual Tabu records, deeds, or other documentation with legal standing and verifiability – required everywhere else. This strange, antiquated procedure was an open invitation to widespread fraud, resulting in the violation of proprietary rights of both Jewish and Arab owners.”
Full article here