1. It creates title deeds to challenge the ongoing dispossession of Palestinian land

Since 1967, Israel has been implementing ongoing policies of land confiscation that have resulted in a steep decrease in lands available to Palestinians. Lands have been allocated to colonies, military areas or nature reserves, de facto impeding Palestinian use and access of those lands. TABO challenges the dispossession of land by creating title deeds to prevent Israel from taking advantage of the Ottoman appropriation law, which systematically confiscates unregistered land that is not in active use.

2. It facilitates registration of Palestinian land

70 percent of land in the West Bank is unregistered, making it vulnerable to dispossession. The 1968 Israeli Military Order 291 stopped all ongoing land registration processes and prohibited any further new registrations. The only way to prove ownership under the current system is a burdensome and expensive process that most Palestinians cannot afford, especially in light of Israel’s new costly requirements. For more information on the registration system, have a look at our previous blog post.

3. It helps plan and zone Palestinian lands

The 1971 Israeli Military Order 418 removed planning power from Palestinian village councils, transferring these functions to a centralized planning office. This has made planning for Palestinian communities in Area C of the West Bank an almost impossible endeavor. Since the division of land of the Oslo Accords, Areas A and B were encircled on all sides by Israeli-controlled Area C, essentially limiting the boundaries of those areas and prohibiting development beyond them. Moreover, as many lands in Area B are not registered, no Master Plans have been developed for them. TABO is transforming this reality by developing Palestinian lands, making it easier to buy them, build on them, and also to protect them from Israeli policies.

4. It makes buying Palestinian land easier

TABO has purchased, planned and developed several areas in the West Bank. These lands are then parceled into plots with individual title deeds that are then put for sale to Palestinians. Purchasing land in Palestine is an extremely long and difficult process that requires time, experts and lawyers, reviewing maps and going through considerable amounts of paperwork. TABO takes care of all these processes in advance making individual and developed parcels available. In doing so, interested buyers just need to sign a contract and TABO takes care of the rest.

5. It makes purchasing Palestinian land affordable

The concentration of development in Palestine has caused land prices inside the major cities to increase dramatically. In Ramallah, a dunum of land – equivalent to 1000m² – sells for almost $1,000,0000. As a result, purchasing land in Palestine has become unaffordable and very difficult for Palestinians. Outside the major Palestinian cities, smaller towns and villages are not part of any master plan, meaning that land can only be purchased in large amounts. This makes buying land very expensive, as most owners do not want to sell only a portion of their land, but all of it. TABO has been actively purchasing vast areas of land, and divided them into affordable parcels, making it possible for Palestinians to buy just enough land for a comfortable residence. In addition, TABO offers direct interest-free financing for a period of 5 years.

6. It makes it possible for Palestinians to buy land from abroad

TABO offers the possibility for Palestinians to buy land from all over the world, whether they live in Ramallah, New York, London or Dubai. Considering that Israel restricts access to the Palestinian territories for the majority of Palestinians in the Diaspora, TABO offers a great opportunity for Palestinians to connect with their homeland and to help protect Palestinian lands from illegal confiscation, without having to be in the country.

7. It offers services and residential communities

TABO parcels are not simply a piece of land – they include green areas, public areas, and internal roads, providing space, proper planning, and easy access to each plot. This encourages the purchase of land by Palestinians that, due to the poor or complete lack of planning and services in many of the areas outside the big cities, may feel ambivalent about the prospect of buying land in Palestine. TABO parcels are not simply easy to buy and affordable, but they present an opportunity to become part of modern, livable and attractive communities. Furthermore, TABO offers construction services to build homes at cost to encourage its landowners to build.