Occupying The Land In Israel

By DeWayne Coxon

There is a law in Israel, dating back to the Ottoman (Turkish) Empire times, that determined how a person could occupy land.  A person only needed to erect four walls and sleep inside the home one night and the property became the possession of the occupant.  Whatever land could be farmed around the building also because the possession of the family.

This law was part of the Turkish law.  The British Mandate laws would come later, and after that Israel developed then our laws.  This is the reason that no one is allowed to “squat” on land in Israel.  People are forcibly moved in order to protect the government rights to the Land.

It is much harder to get possession of land in Israel than in countries where land is sold to the highest bidder under an open market such as in the United States.  In Israel, ninety-eight percent of the land is owned by the State. In the middle Arava where Biblical Tamar Park is located, one hundred percent of the land is owned by the State.

Agreements to control and use the land are very difficult to obtain.  No individual can possess land in the Arava unless it is in a settlement area and then that person enters into a yearly lease.

It has taken Blossoming Rose four years of intensive work to complete a Lease agreement with the Middle Arava Regional Council.  They, in turn, had to obtain the consent of the Israeli Land Authority in Jerusalem to lease the Archaeology Dig and surrounding acreage.  These fifty-three acres sit within a 250,000 acre Nature Reserve.

Not only does consent need to be given by the Israel Land Authority, but also the Ministries of the Interior and of Finance before a lease can be issued.  Those approvals had to be preceded by other certificates and licenses required by the law, including the 1978, Act of Antiquities and the 1989, Act on the Administration of Antiquities, permissions that are extremely difficult to obtain.

The twenty-five year Agreement between “For Blossoming Israel” (our Israeli counterpart to Blossoming Rose) for the “establishment, funding, management, and operation” of Biblical Tamar Park could only be completed after all prerequisite legal agreements had been signed with the other Israeli agencies.

The final approval for possession of the property as stated in the Agreement in 4.1, “For Blossoming Israel” commits to establish, manage, and operate Biblical Tamar Park for the region development in conformity with the program and plans approved by the Council and all competent authorities, whose approval is required by the law, and based on the concepts specified in the Agreement.”

The prophet Isaiah foresaw the gentiles actually going to Israel to assist the Jewish people in restoring the land, rebuilding their ancient cities (Tamar), and planting vineyards and trees.  You can help us to do this at Tamar with your gifts for trees, security fence, and contributions to the ongoing costs of developing the Park.