Arab

From arabah, a desert, the name employed, in the Old Testament to denote the valley of the Jordan and Dead Sea. In Arabic. Arab, in Hebrew Arabi, Arbim in French, Arabe. One of a swarthy race occupying Arabia, and numerous in Syria, Northern Africa, etc.

Arabia

An extensive region in the southwest of Asia. It is bounded on the west by the Isthmus of Suez and the Red Sea, on the south by the Indian Ocean, and on the east by the Persian Gulf and the Euphrates. It extends far into the north in barren deserts, meeting those of Syria and Mesopotamia. It is one of the few countries of the world from which the original inhabitants have never been expelled.

In ancient times, it was divided into three parts:, (1) Arabia Felix (Happy Arabia), so called because of its fertility. It embraced a large portion of the country now known by the name of Arabia. The Arabs call it Yemen. It lies between the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf. (2) Arabia Deserta, the el-Badieh or ‘Great Wilderness’ of the Arabs. From this name is derived that which is usually given to the nomadic tribes, which wander over this region, the ‘Bedaween,’ or, more generally, ‘Bedouin,’ (3) Arabia Petraea, i.e., the Rocky Arabia, so called because of its rocky mountains and stony plains. It comprehended all the northwest portion of the country, which travellers know better than any other part. This country is, however, divided by modern geographers into (1) Arabia Proper, or the Arabian Peninsula; (2) Northern Arabia, or the Arabian Desert; and (3) Western Arabia, which includes the peninsula of Sinai and the Desert of Petra, originally inhabited by the Horites (Gen. 14:6, etc.), but in later times by the descendants of Esau, and known as the Land of Edom or Idumea, also as the Desert of Seir or Mount Seir.

The whole land appears (Gen. 10) to have been inhabited by a variety of tribes of different lineage, Ishmaelites, Arabians, Idumeans, Horites, and Edomites; but at length becoming amalgamated, they came to be known by the general designation of Arabs. The modern nation of Arabs is predominantly Ishmaelite. Their language is the most developed and the richest of all the Semitic languages, and is of great value to the student of Hebrew.

The Israelites wandered for 40 years in Arabia. In the days of Solomon, and subsequently, commercial intercourse was to a considerable extent kept up with this country (1 Kings 10:15; 2 Chr. 9:14; 17:11). Arabians were present in Jerusalem at Pentecost (Acts 2:11). Paul retired for a season into Arabia after his conversion (Gal. 1:17). The country is frequently referred to by the prophets (Isa. 21:11; 42:11; Jer. 25:24, etc.).

Archeological Site

1. The Manager of the Israel antiquities authority is allowed to declare an area as an archeological site.

2. This declaration will be written in the land registry and the owner of the place will be informed as well as the aerial committee of planning and building.

Prohibition of activities in the site:

1. In the area of the site, no one can carry out any of the activities listed below without a certificate of approval from the authority manager:

1. Building, paving, excavation, mining, digging, flooding, clearing, ploughing or planting.

2. Placing dirt, excrement, waste, and garbage, including placement in the bordered property.

3. Change, add or remove parts of the antiquity.

4. Dismantling, removal or displacing it or its parts.

5. Writing, engraving or painting.

6. Building buildings or walls on the site or on its borders.

7. Another activity that had been decided relatively to the specific site by the authority.

2. Any announcement about clause (7) will be written in the registry.

3. Regarding religious and sacred sites, a committee of ministers, in which a minister of Law or religion will be the chairman, will give the approval.

From the ‘Agricultural Settlement (Restrictions on the Use of Agricultural Land and Water) Law’ (1967), which prevents Jewish leaseholders of state lands from subleasing them back to Palestinian Arabs. - Arab Association for Human Rights 2001, ‘Land and Planning.’

Absentees’ Property (Compensation) Law, 5733-1973

The Main Provisions of the Law

1. The persons entitled to compensation are all those who were residents of Israel on 1 July 1973, or became residents thereafter, and who, prior to the property becoming vested in the Custodian of Absentees’ Property were:

a the owners of property, including their heirs, or

a. the tenants only of urban property, including spouses living with them at the last mentioned date, or

b. the lessees of property, or

c. the owners of any easement in property.

2. The criteria for determining the value of property have been adopted from the Palestine Conciliation Commission of 1961. Accordingly, in respect of urban property the base figure is the net annual value on 29 November 1947 as last determined before that date for the purpose of urban property tax. In order to allow for the fact that net annual value is always set at a very low figure, an addition of a sum ranging from 30% to 60% (depending on the date of the last pre-1947 assessment) of the net annual value will be made. Since the original values were given in pounds sterling, to yield its equivalent in Israeli lira of today the resulting figure will then be multiplied by 175????. As regards agricultural property, the present-day value will be determined according to its classification for the purpose of rural property tax; the 14 or so categories with their value per dunam are specified in the Schedule to the Law.

All sums properly paid by the Custodian of Absentees’ Property on behalf of an owner will be deducted from the compensation.

Tenants of urban property will generally receive 15% of the value of the property as ascertained for the purpose of compensation. A lessee will receive such compensation as is found to be the value of his rights in the property.

3. Claims for compensation must be submitted before 30 June 1976 in the manner and form to be prescribed by regulation. If a person becomes an Israel resident after 1 July 1973, the claim may be submitted within two years thereafter, if that goes beyond 30 June 1976.

An advisory committee is to be set up, under the chairmanship of a Magistrate, to advise the Officer in Charge as to the rights of claimants, the determination of the annual value and the amount of compensation. In the event of any dispute over the decision of the Officer in Charge as to the right to compensation or the amount thereof, either the claimant or the Attorney General have a right of recourse to the District Court within six months after the Officer has given notice of his decision.

These legal proceedings are exempt from court fees. The fees of lawyers dealing with compensation claims are expressly restricted by the Law to certain maximum percentages; payments made in excess of the permitted rates may be recovered in civil proceedings and any person receiving any excess is liable to be fined five times the amount of the excess and, if a lawyer, may be open to professional disciplinary proceedings.

4. After compensation has been finally determined, the first IL 10,000 thereof will be paid in cash not later than 1 July 1975 or within six days after final determination whichever is the later, and the balance will be discharged by the issue of government bonds within six months after final determination. The bonds will be registered in the name of the recipient with the Bank of Israel, but, from 1 April 1980, will be negotiable as if they were bearer bonds. They will be repayable in 15 equal annual instalments, with accruing interest at the rate of 4% on 1 October of each year commencing in 1975, although the Minister of Finance, with the approval of the Knesset Finance Committee, may direct earlier payment if that is required for rehabilitating or rehousing the claimant. Capital and interest will be linked with the cost-of-living index. Bonds will be exempt from stamp duty.

The foregoing applies to owners of property. Payment for compensation to other claimants is generally to be made before 1 July 1975 or within six months after final settlement of the claim, whichever is the later.

5. The Ministers of Finance and Justice are responsible for implementing the Law. The Minister of Justice may make regulations regarding procedures for making claims and the manner of dealing with them.

The draft law was presented to the Knesset on 9 January 1973. It became a law on 1 July 1973. The purpose of the law is to pay compensation to every resident of Israel, whether of East Jerusalem or elsewhere in the country. Compensation will be paid in respect only of land, wherever situated, in the State of Israel. The law is concerned with providing a solution for one important part of the larger problem of the Arab refugees. The following is from a Ministry of Justice Press Release, August 12, 1973.