68, 69, 70, 71 , , , 68 69 70 71 1950 Development Authority (Transfer of Property) Law The Development Authority was established to work with government agencies and was given broad powers to acquire and develop property to allow it to be sold. The Development Authority was to ensure that ownership of the land remains in perpetuity in Jewish hands. 1953 Land Acquisition (Validation of Acts and Compensation) Law The Development Authority was only allowed to sell land to the state, the Jewish National Fund or to institutions approved by the Government.68 Allowed the Custodian to vest ownership in the acquired Palestinian lands into the Development Authority for the development of Israel.69 All the land held by the Custodian was transferred to the Development Authority.70 Development was defined as for “settlement, security or ‘improvement,’” allowing for further confiscation under these pretexts. Any remaining titles were stripped from their original Palestinian holders and under the pretext of ‘development’ additional confiscation occurred. It also allowed for the legal registration of acquired land. This law provided compensation to the owners who were dispossessed of their land. The wording of the law was sufficiently broad to allow the Development Authority to transfer and sell property to political groups and colonizer organizations effectively beginning the process of privatizing absentee property. Between 1948 and 1953 alone, 350 of the 370 new JewishIsraeli communities were created on lands confiscated under the Absentee Property Law, which were granted to the Development Authority. Through this law Palestinian property was placed at the discretion of Israel under an appearance of legality. This law provided for compensation to the owners who were dispossessed of their land, but Palestinians outside Israel did not benefit from this scheme, and compensation was very low.71 68 Knesset, Development Authority (Transfer of Property) Law, art. 4(a), 31 July 1950. 69 Bisharat, “Land, Law”, 518, supra note 67. 70 Ibid. 71 Id., 519. 29