Several Lebanese MPs contested on Friday the amendment of the law of ownership, which still excludes Palestinians from owning property, reported the Daily Star newspaper.
Beirut MP, Mohammed Qabbani, said that the government should distinguish between settlement and ownership.
“Palestinians should not be deprived of their civil rights,” he said during a meeting held at the offices of the Popular Committees and Leagues’ Union in Beirut. “Owning an apartment does not lead to settlement,” he said.
The cabinet has recently amended the foreign ownership law by granting foreigners other than Palestinians the right to own property.
Another Beirut MP, Mohammed Berjawi, said that Palestinians were not fighting in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip to be settled in Lebanon.
“Are the intifada’s 500 martyrs for the settlement or for the Palestinian people’s rights including the right of return?” Berjawi asked.
But Beirut MP Walid Eido condemned the “racism” of such an amendment. “How can an Israeli holding a Canadian or Australian nationality own property, while a Palestinian cannot?”
Akkar MP Jamal Ismail stated that the law should be “re-examined” to stop the “injustice” against Palestinians. “I call for having Parliament review the foreign ownership law completely.” – Albawaba.com
