The Absentee Property Law and its Application to East Jerusalem

This fact sheet sets out the main provisions of the Absentee Property Law 1950, the implementation of which has resulted in thousands of properties being defined as “absentee” and consequently taken by the Israeli Custodian of Absentee Property. Also examined are the application and effects of the Absentee Property Law in East Jerusalem since Israel’s occupation and unilateral annexation of the area in 1967, with a focus on the consequences for Palestinian-owned property in East Jerusalem.