Absentee

A legal category of persons as designated by Israeli law, specifically defined in the Absentees’ Property Law—1950. The law defines persons who were expelled, fled, or who left the country after November 29, 1947, mainly due to the war, as well as their movable and immovable property (mainly land, houses, bank accounts, etc.), as “absentee.” According to HaMoked: “It covers, among others, anyone who was visiting ‘enemy states’ enumerated in the Absentees’ Property Law (Lebanon, Egypt, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Jordan (including the West Bank), Iraq, or Yemen), beginning on November 29, 1947, and until the state of emergency declared in May 1948 is revoked (the state of emergency has not been revoked to date and is still in effect). Additionally, anyone who had legal status in those countries at the time, or received legal status in them is also considered an absentee. Even people who temporarily left their usual place of residence within Mandatory Palestine to another locality which, albeit inside Mandatory Palestine, was held by elements who were fighting Israel at the time, and later returned to their usual place of residence, are considered absentees.” The property of any “absentee” is confiscated and turned over to the Custodian of Absentee Property.