Jerusalem Municipality removed a planned discussion on a land allocation for a hotel project in East Jerusalem from a committee agenda, after three bereaved fathers of October 7 victims urged senior Israeli officials to stop what they called a “moral disgrace.”
The families cited a US civil lawsuit that alleges the project is linked to Bashar al-Masri, a Palestinian-American businessman accused in court filings of aiding Hamas.
In a statement circulated Thursday, the fathers called on the acting interior minister, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion to halt the proposal ahead of a scheduled Monday discussion.
The families were identified as Ruby Chen, the father of Staff Sgt. Itay Chen, who was killed on October 7 while defending Nahal Oz and whose body was taken to Gaza; Eyal Waldman, father of Danielle Waldman, who was killed along with her partner Noam Shai at the Nova music festival; and Yizhar Shai, father of Staff Sgt. Yaron Uri Shai, who was killed in combat near Kerem Shalom.
The Jerusalem municipal district planning and construction committee was scheduled to consider approving the land allocation for a hotel in what the families described as a strategic area facing the Old City.
Hotel plan removed from agenda after new ownership information
Jerusalem Municipality said it removed the item from the agenda after receiving new information related to ownership, adding that it would remain off the agenda pending a comprehensive review of ownership and an examination of relevant aspects.
According to reports, the plan was discussed by the city’s local planning committee on September 6, 2023, months before October 7, and no information presented at the time linked the plan or its initiators to Masri. The same reports said the plan did not list Masri as an “interested party.”
In their statement, the families argued Israel should not advance any land deal connected to Masri while a US lawsuit remains pending.
The suit, filed in federal court in Washington, DC, was brought by nearly 200 American plaintiffs, including survivors and relatives of victims of the October 7 attack. It alleges Masri facilitated Hamas operations by enabling the construction and use of tunnels and other infrastructure beneath properties his companies developed in Gaza, including luxury hotels and the Gaza Industrial Estate.
Masri’s office has denied the allegations, calling them baseless and saying he opposes violence.
The families’ statement referenced claims that Hamas infrastructure operated beneath Masri-linked properties and argued it would have been implausible for property owners to be unaware, including because utilities such as electricity and water were allegedly provided to the sites.
They also urged Israeli officials to block permits and halt any plans linked to him until court proceedings are resolved.
The legal action also prompted international fallout. After the lawsuit was filed, Masri resigned from an advisory role on the dean’s council of the Harvard Kennedy School, according to reports.
In a separate development, plaintiffs’ lawyers have said they faced difficulties serving Masri with legal papers, an issue the families also referenced in their statement.
Masri is a prominent Palestinian-American entrepreneur and developer, known for major real estate and investment projects in the West Bank and Gaza, and has previously been linked to international development initiatives.
Jerusalem Municipality did not provide a new date for any future discussion of the item.