Israel Destroys 53 Year Old Death Penalty Law That Banned Jews From Owning Land

Israel Ends Decades Old Jordanian Law Banning Jews From Buying Land in the West Bank

On February 8, 2026, Israel's Security Cabinet voted to repeal a Jordanian era law that had prohibited Jews from purchasing land in Judea and Samaria for over five decades.

The original law, known as Jordan's 1973 "Law to Prevent the Sale of Land to the Enemy," imposed the death penalty on anyone who sold real estate to a Jewish person or any non Arab in the West Bank. The law had been in force since Jordan controlled the territory from 1948 to 1967, and its legal framework remained intact even after Israel assumed control.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Defense Minister Israel Katz championed the repeal, which the cabinet described as allowing "Jews to purchase land in Judea and Samaria just as they purchase land in Tel Aviv or Jerusalem."

Alongside the repeal, the cabinet declassified land registries so buyers can identify property owners, canceled the requirement for special transaction licenses, registered state owned lands, expanded Israeli oversight of public services in Palestinian Authority administered territory, and transferred the Tomb of the Patriarchs and Rachel's Tomb to sole Israeli control.

The settler advocacy group Regavim celebrated the changes as ending

"a disgraceful freeze of nearly six decades."

The Yesha Council called these

"the most significant decisions made by the State of Israel since its return to Judea and Samaria 58 years ago."

The Palestinian Authority condemned the move as "an attempt to legalize settlement expansion, land confiscation, and the demolition of Palestinian properties." Hamas called for Palestinians to launch "a rebellion across the West Bank and Jerusalem." A joint statement from the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the UAE, Egypt, and Turkey denounced the decision as a violation of international law.

President Donald Trump stated he is "against annexation," though neither he nor White House officials directly condemned Israel's actions.

Israel's Security Cabinet Repeals Anti Jewish Land Law in Judea and Samaria After 53 Years

The repeal marks a seismic shift in Israeli policy toward Judea and Samaria. The cabinet also approved the renewal of the Land Acquisition Committee, a state body that had ceased operating roughly two decades ago. Its reinstatement will allow the government to pursue proactive land purchases throughout the region.

Additionally, the cabinet decided to expand Israeli supervision and enforcement activities into Areas A and B, administrative divisions established by the Oslo Accords that had previously been under Palestinian Authority jurisdiction.

The Crusader's Opinion

Let us be absolutely clear about what was just repealed: a law that sentenced people to death for the crime of selling property to a Jewish person. That is not a zoning regulation. That is genocidal hatred encoded into statute. For 53 years, the international community looked the other way while this antisemitic abomination remained on the books. Imagine if any Western nation had a law forbidding land sales to Muslims or Christians under penalty of death. The United Nations would convene emergency sessions. But when the victims are Jewish, the world is silent. Israel did what was righteous by tearing this evil law to pieces. Every Christian who reads Scripture knows God gave that land a covenant promise. The fact that Hamas responded by calling for "rebellion" tells you everything you need to know about who stands for justice and who stands for destruction.

Take Action

• Pray for the peace of Jerusalem and for wisdom for Israel's leaders as they navigate these historic changes (Psalm 122:6).
• Contact your elected representatives and urge them to support Israel's right to sovereignty in its biblical heartland. Find your representatives at usa.gov/elected-officials.
• Support persecuted Christians and Jewish communities in the region through The Shepherd's Shield.
• Share this story on social media. The mainstream media will not tell you that a death penalty law against Jews existed for 53 years. Spread the truth.
• Support organizations defending religious freedom in the Holy Land such as Open Doors and the Voice of the Martyrs.