The Law of the Land

There has been some confusion (especially among Christians) concerning possession of land in Israel. The following article is adapted from Dr. DeWayne Coxon’s writing which should make clear this matter.

During the Ottoman (Turkish) Empire times, a person could occupy land by only erecting four walls and sleeping inside the home one night. The property then became the possession of the occupant. Whatever land could be farmed around the building also became the possession of the family. The British Mandate laws came later.

After Israel became a state, she developed her own laws. No one is allowed to “squat” on land in Israel. Sometimes people are forcibly moved off property 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. All reverts back to the State of Israel after the lease agreement has been fulfilled. Visitors cannot reside at Tamar (public property) on a permanent basis.

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 the Blossoming Rose organization in the USA) 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 prophets in the Bible foresaw the Gentiles going to Israel to assist the Jewish people in restoring the land, rebuilding their ancient cities, such as Tamar, and planting vineyards and trees. You can help us to do this at Tamar.