How does a case of property ownership beco
me a case of minority identity? What are the unique legal aspects of proper
ty cases in Jerusalem? What can we learn from the the current legal battles
to protect property in Jerusalem's Armenian Quarter? The Legal Status of p
roperty possession and ownership in Jerusalem derives from the unique legal
status of the city in international and domestic Law and the ways it is af
fected by historic and political changes. One of the most ancient national-
religious groups in Jerusalem is the Christian Armenian Community in the Ol
d City.
In the last four years\, Sami Ershied has represented this sma
ll community in its legal struggle to protect their property in the Armenia
n Quarter.
Dr. Adv. Sami Ershied\, is a Jerusalem-based lawyer\, who
specializes in Public Law\, Human Rights Law\, Property and Financial Law.
His practical work focuses on the representation of communities under the
risk of Displacement. Among the cases that he handles\, he has represented
the community of Sheikh Jarrah during the past 15 years to prevent the evic
tion of the community members from their homes. He has also presented numer
ous cases before the Israeli supreme court for the property protection of m
inority communities in Jerusalem.
He holds an LLB from the Hebrew Univ
ersity\, an LLM from the University of Sussex in England and a PhD from the
Hebrew University.
In addition\, Dr. Ershied advises planning bodies\
, local and central authorities. He also lectures at the Law Faculty and th
e Business Administration School of the Hebrew University\, focusing on Tra
nsitional Justice\, Development and Finance.