From land registry (Tabo) to notices: The Abu Teir family's legal battle to protect their land in Jerusalem
On the southern slopes of Jerusalem, the Abu Teir family faces one of the most dangerous attempts at forced displacement, after their ancestral land was transformed into a declared settlement project. The 64-dunom area houses more than 200 people, spread across 17 buildings containing 35 apartments, all of which were officially licensed by the occupation municipality and the Israel Land Authority. However, they are now threatened with losing their homes to a new settlement plan.
Escalating field measures
In recent days, crews from the Israel Land Fund have erected signs on the land in the village of Umm Tuba stating: "Land belonging to the State of Israel. Entry is prohibited. Whoever violates it will be held responsible."
Residents described this move as a continuation of the policy of imposing a fait accompli and preventing them from using their land.
Yousef Abu Teir, one of the affected residents, explained that the occupation authorities demanded that the families remove the containers on the land and prevented them from entering or using it, claiming that it belongs to the state, despite legal objections in the competent courts.
From Tabo to notices
The case dates back to May 2023, when the land was registered in the Israeli Land Registry in the name of the Israel Land Administration and the Jewish National Fund, without prior knowledge or notification. The family learned of this when one of its sons applied for a building permit (as part of the standard procedures).
One year later, in May 2024, the residents received eviction notices demanding that they hand over the land, demolish the homes, and evict the residents within one month.
On June 11, 2025, the occupation authorities again served new eviction notices, prompting the families to appeal to the Israeli Supreme Court, which referred the case to the District Court, where the legal battle remains open.
Official vontradictions
The family asserts that the Israel Lands Authority had approved the submitted construction applications in previous years, asserting that they were "legal and free of objections," which they consider evidence that what is happening today constitutes "official theft and forgery."
The family explains that licensing procedures in Jerusalem require residents to obtain a stamp from the Israel Lands Authority to verify ownership of the land and that there are no legal issues. The family obtained this stamp after a six-month process, reflecting a clear contradiction in the Israeli establishment's handling of the matter.
Strategic location
Of the 64 dunoms, buildings have been erected on approximately 20 dunoms, while 43 dunoms remain empty (without construction). The land is located adjacent to the settlement of Jabal Abu Ghneim (Har Homa) and Kibbutz Ramat Rachel, overlooking the Dead Sea and large areas of the West Bank.
This sensitive geographic location explains the extent of settlement ambitions, as the land represents a strategic link between the settlements south of Jerusalem and the Dead Sea, part of a larger plan aimed at separating Jerusalem from its Palestinian surroundings and linking it to the massive settlement blocs.
A family clings to its rights
Despite mounting pressure, the Abu Teir family asserts that the land is their legitimate and documented property and that they will continue their legal battle to protect it, emphasizing that what is happening is nothing but a systematic forced displacement plan aimed at seizing strategic Palestinian areas.
