Identification of Arab refugee property holdings in Israel “is almost completed,” the Palestine Conciliation Commission announced here today, and the next step is to determine the value of that real estate. The valuation, which “should be carried out as soon as possible,” will be made on the basis of 1946-1947 land sales price, according to the P.C.C.
In the report, the Commission refers to identification of Arab refugee property “in Israel,” but the actual figures list identified Arab property in all of British Mandatory Palestine, including Jordanian-held territory and the Gaza Strip. Sixteen sub-districts are listed, but these sub-divisions are listed as they existed on the British records, thus including many lands which are entirely out of Israeli jurisdiction at present.
The PCC reported also that Israel has now released a total of $7,444,319 to Arab refugees who had accounts in Barclay’s Bank in Israel, and $1,148,000 is still being held for the claimants. Israel has already set aside foreign currency to pay this outstanding sum, but there is still a total of $392,000 in other Israel banks for which the Government of Israel has not yet made foreign currency available.
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