Jewish Efforts to Purchase Waqf Property in the Wailing Wall Area in the Late Ottman Period, 1887-1916

Abstract

The expansion of Jewish emigration to Palestine in the late Ottoman period brought about an increase in the efforts of Jewish-Zionist intermediaries to purchase properties in their name. These transactions, carried out in the framework of the Ottoman state, were dictated according to Ottoman laws. Due to the special status of endowments (awkaf) in Islamic law, their existence in the properties which were of Jewish interest influenced the negotiations with the Ottomans. This study examines the Jewish-Zionist efforts to purchase endowments in the Western Wall zone and demonstrates the complexities of the efforts in the light of Ottoman legislation. A discussion of the character of these endowments complements the study.