Haaretz
Adar1 19, 5765
Police are investigating
suspicions that the former CEO of Himnuta, a subsidiary of the Jewish
National Fund, purchased stolen Palestinian lands in exchange for bribes.
On Sunday, police arrested five suspects in the affair: Haim
Cohen, who was Himnuta's CEO until two months ago; Lieutenant Colonel Yair
Blumenthal, head of the Civil Administration's infrastructure department;
brothers Yosef and Yaakov Amram, Jerusalem businessmen; and their lawyer,
Eitan Tzachi. The five are suspected of forging documents, illegal land
dealing and aggravated fraud.
Police believe that the ring was
responsible for at least five deals in which West Bank lands were stolen
from their Palestinian owners and sold to Himnuta for a total of more than
NIS 20 million. The stolen lands are located near Hebron, Gush Etzion,
Jericho, Ma'aleh Adumim and Givat Ze'ev.
The JNF said in response:
"The JNF has a great interest in the affair's exposure. In recent months,
we have been in contact with the police and helped them with the
investigation. We will continue to cooperate with the police in the future
as well."
Cohen allegedly authorized Himnuta's purchase of the
lands knowing all too well that they were stolen. However, police do not
believe that anyone else at Himnuta was aware of the fraud.
Blumenthal, one of the Civil Administration's most veteran
employees, is suspected of providing the ring with information acquired in
the course of his work about lands that would be suitable for fraudulent
sale. He also allegedly approved the sales in his professional capacity,
even though he knew they were fraudulent. Police suspect that he was
bribed to provide these services.
The Amrams and their lawyer
allegedly bought the lands from Palestinian accomplices and then sold them
for inflated sums to Himnuta. Three of the suspected Palestinian
accomplices were arrested last week, and police sources predicted that
many more arrests will soon follow, including the arrest of 19 lawyers
who, knowingly or not, participated in the fraud.
Chief
Superintendent Eliezer Elhar of the Samaria and Judea District Police said
that the motive for the crimes was primarily financial, but some of those
involved may also have been influenced by a desire to "redeem" Palestinian
lands and use them for the construction of Jewish settlements.
"I
have more than a gut instinct that there was also an ideological motive,"
he said.
Army sources concurred, noting that Blumenthal is an
ideological ally of the settlement movement and good friends with many of
its leaders. In his professional capacity, the sources added, he often
facilitated the establishment of illegal settlement outposts.
According to the police, the investigation began in May 2004, when
certain Palestinian landowners discovered that their lands had been sold
without their knowledge and were now registered in Israel's Land Registry
(known by its Hebrew acronym, Tabu) as belonging to Himnuta. Army sources,
however, claimed that the Civil Administration was the first to file a
police complaint, and the Military Police participated in the probe.
Police believe that the ring, with help from Palestinian and
Jordanian accomplices, located West Bank lands whose Palestinian owners
were either dead or living in Jordan. The ring would then forge a power of
attorney from the deceased or absent owner - in some cases, with help from
Palestinian accomplices - and use it to sell the land to their Palestinian
accomplices, who would then resell it, for much less than its true value,
to a Jerusalem company called "Awad and Daoud," that was owned by the
Amrams.
The brothers would then sell it to Himnuta for an
exaggerated price, with the profits being split between the five
conspirators.