From the Pages of the Defter (ص 257)

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From the Pages of the Defter (ص 257)

المحتوى

told the newspaper they had been informed that sixty-one of their olive trees were
scheduled to be uprooted by Israel.*”*
Part Four: The Quiet Witnesses
Two more individuals are worthy of discussion in this case: Shaykhs Ahmad and Khalid, sons
of Shaykh Darwish al-Ja’abri, whose presence is noted but whose title and role in court are
unexplained in the court registers. As noted, Shaykh Ahmad was likely at this time already
working as a representative of the Ottoman Bang Ziraat (Agricultural Bank) and the land-
registry offices. His younger brother, Khalid, was in charge of sheep and agricultural-produce
taxes (aghnam and ‘ushr). Shaykh Ahmad’s two hats are as significant as the brothers’
presence at the court session. While Anmad’s roles were likely filled by two individuals in
bigger cities, in Hebron it appears administrative, financial, and judicial personnel were
working in unison when it came to land issues. His presence signifies that the private-
mortgage system was no less legitimate than a mortgage through a bank.
Conclusion
This chapter has clearly shown that the tapu certificate was not necessary to prove land
tenure in the late Ottoman period. It was the desired document, but it was not the only one
*' The article has been republished on the Miftah website:
www. miftah.org/Arabic/Display.cfm?Docld=4554&Categoryld=4 . Miftah organization was founded in
1998 by Hanan Ashrawi to promote democracy and good governance in Palestinian society.
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From the Pages of the Defter

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المنشئ

Susynne McElrone

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