The D.C. Circuit struck a congressional act that required the State Department to include "Israel" on the passport of any U.S. citizen born in Jerusalem. The court in Zivotofsky v. Secretary of State ruled that the law interfered with the
Who Owns the Church of the Holy Sepulchre?
By propertyprof
Slate takes a look at the property claims over the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, venerated as the site of the crucifixion, burial, and resurrection of Jesus:
Under an 1852 mandate, the care of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre
…
Ban Ki-moon Calls on Israel to Halt Plans for New Settlements in East Jerusalem
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon again called on Israel today to withdraw new settlement plans for East Jerusalem while stressing that protests over the plans, as well as reactions to them, must remain peaceful, noting that they had been largely…
The Fate of Land in the West Bank
By propertyprof
The New York Times takes a look at the future of E1, a heavily contested piece of land on the borders of East Jerusalem:Israel sees E1, only 4.6 square miles and largely rocky desert, as the stone in the arch…
Responding to UN General Assembly Vote on Palestine, Israel Plans to Build New Settlement Units
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon learned "with grave concern and disappointment" of Israel's announcement of 3,000 new settlement units in East Jerusalem and other parts of the West Bank, according to his spokesperson today. "This would include reported planning in the…
US Supreme Court Postpones Decision on Foreign Relations Question in Zivotofsky v. Clinton
Yesterday, the US Supreme issued its first decision in Zitofsky v. Clinton, No. 10-699, involving a power struggle between Congress and the President over recognition of Jerusalem as part of Israel. It has long been executive branch policy not to…
The Protests in Israel Grow
By propertyprof
Huge turnouts at a new round of housing/quality-of-life protests over the weekend:Add up the estimates of 300,000 in Tel Aviv and 30,000 in Jerusalem and more elsewhere and you come to this startling idea: one out of every 20 Israelis…
Iran’s Former Diplomatic Properties May Not Be Used to Satisfy Terrorism-Related Judgment
Earlier this month, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit held that five properties located in the District of Columbia may not be used to satisfy a judgment against Iran for its support of the terrorist organization, Hamas. Plaintiffs in…
Daniel Sperling on Reproductive Law and Policy in Israel
Daniel Sperling (The Hebrew University of Jerusalem) has posted Commanding the ‘Be Fruitful and Multiply’ Directive: Reproductive Ethics, Law and Policy in Israel on SSRN. Here is the abstract:
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Land Use, housing, and the Middle East
A couple of weeks ago, a land use issue became a flashpoint in the continuing discussion over Israel and Palestine. When Vice President Biden was visiting Israel, it was seen as an affront that the Jerusalem planning department announced the…