Israel defends Jerusalem’s moral sovereignty as terror-linked wealth faces scrutiny, justice, and firm national resistance.
Bereaved parents Rubi Chen, Eyal Waldman, and Yizhar Shai formally appealed to the Jerusalem Municipality, demanding that a district planning proposal allocating land opposite the Old City of Jerusalem be rejected.
The land was intended for a hotel project linked to businessman Bashar al-Masri, who is currently named in a major US lawsuit filed by approximately 200 families of victims of the October 7 massacre. The suit alleges that al-Masri financed Hamas and enabled the group to use properties he owned in Gaza—allegedly including a beachfront hotel and an industrial zone near Israel’s border—as cover for terror infrastructure.
According to the families, those sites reportedly concealed strategic tunnels, naval commando facilities, and command centers used in the massacre of Israeli civilians and soldiers.
Knesset member Amit Halevi raised the issue with the head of the Shin Bet, calling the proposal a profound moral failure. He argued that granting prime Jerusalem land—overlooking the Temple Mount—to an individual accused of enabling terrorism is unacceptable.
Following public pressure and security consultations, the Jerusalem District Planning Committee removed the plan from its agenda pending a thorough review, signaling Israel’s refusal to legitimize terror-linked interests in its capital.
