The Israeli High Court of Justice has ruled that the local council of the Israeli colony of Kiryat Arba’a cannot impose municipal tax on the Palestinian Al Ja’abari family, which owns land adjacent to the colony, in the city of Hebron, in the southern part of the Israeli-Occupied West Bank.

The Kiryat Arba’a council had ordered Abdul Karim Al Ja’abari, a Palestinian from Hebron, to pay 160,000 shekels ($45,000; Dh165,321) in municipal tax.

Because the Al Ja’abari property falls within the boundaries of Hebron, the Israeli High Court has ruled that the council has no authority to impose the Arnona tax.

Arnona is a local property tax paid by each household to the local municipality or council.

All cities and towns in 1948 areas charge this tax. It differs widely from location to location and is set at the start of each year. It is based on the number of square metres of property. The highest Arnona rate is imposed on the Palestinian residents of occupied East Jerusalem.

Sulaiman Shahin, the Al Ja’abari family’s lawyer, said: “The tax demand was an extremely dangerous first, which, if implemented, would encourage the local council to impose the tax on other surrounding Palestinian landowners.”

Israeli colonists of Kiryat Arba’a had earlier offered to withdraw the tax demand in return for the Al Ja’abari family dropping a case they have filed with the Israeli High Court of Justice to demolish a Jewish synagogue built on the clan’s privately-owned land.

In 2001, the Israeli colonists built the Hazon David Synagogue near the entrance to the colony. The Israeli High Court later ruled that the synagogue was on private Palestinian land and that the Al Ja’abari family had undisputed ownership documents.

The Israeli occupation forces evacuated and demolished the synagogue more than 40 times but the colonists have rebuilt it each time.

In 2015, the occupation forces gave in to the colonists and declared the area as a ‘delimited zone’, ignoring the ruling of the Israeli High Court.

Shahin told Gulf News that the Al Ja’abari family would continue its legal battle to demolish the synagogue, despite obstacles imposed by the colonists. Kiryat Arba’a is one of Israel’s biggest colonies in the West Bank.

Built on Palestinian private land, the colony is only a couple of minutes’ drive from Al Ebrahimi Mosque in the heart of the Old City of Hebron.

The colony was established immediately after Israel occupied the West Bank in 1967, with a Jewish population of more than 15,000. The colony is equipped with all facilities, including schools, medical centres, shopping malls, banks and a post office.

source: GULF NEWS