Arab Killed in Israeli Town Was ‘Wanted’ for Land Sales to Jews

An Arab resident of Jaljuliye who was killed Friday was wanted by the Palestinian Authority for selling land to Jews, Yediot Acharonot reported. The murder of Ahmed Salama took place Friday morning when individuals shot him in his car in Jaljuliye, an Arab town in central Israel located near Kfar Sava.

Salama was originally a resident of Kalkilya, located a few kilometers away from Jaljuliye in the Palestinian Authority. He moved to Jaljuliye and obtained an Israeli residency permit after marrying a woman from the town who was an Israeli citizen.

Last week, police detained and questioned Salame, releasing him afterwards. Police refused to comment on the reason for his questioning. Family members told the newspaper that police had searched the home several times searching for weapons. Salame had been accused in the past of being an arms dealer, an accusation he denied. Meanwhile, Palestinian Authority reports said that he was a “major” land dealer, trading in Palestinian-owned land, with some of his clients Jews in Judea and Samaria.

Several weeks ago, police arrested Adnan Jit, the Palestinian Authority’s “governor of Yerushalayim.” Jit, according to media reports, was responsible for the arrest of Issam Akel, an Arab resident of the city who was nabbed for attempting to sell property to Jews who is still being held in Ramallah. The penalty for selling land to Jews in the PA is death, but Akel’s sentence has been held up because he is a dual Israeli-American citizen, officials said.

Commenting on the murder of Salame, Likud MK Yehuda Glick said that he did not expect Arab MKs to condemn the act. “According to Palestinian, Salame was an agent who sold land to Jews. He was ‘wanted’ by the PA. Does this mean that the PA operates within Israel? This must be investigated.”