(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - A Palestinian researcher revealed that more than two thirds of Jerusalemites owe money to the Israeli occupation's different organs and departments.

The Jerusalemite activist and researcher, Fakhri Abu Diab, said that Israeli official data showed that there are over 43 thousand debt files in the Israeli official debt collection department , estimated at tens of millions of shekels.

Abu Diab stated, in a press release on Saturday, it has been detected that 9300 debt files are imposed on Jerusalemites to the occupation’s income tax office and the National Insurance department, in addition to another 15 thousand containing large sums owed to the occupation Municipality in Jerusalem. Thus, more than two thirds of Jerusalemites owe large sums to official and governmental occupation departments, according to Abu Diab.

He added that the largest proportion of the Jerusalemites' debts are owed to the Municipal Property Tax "Arnona", followed by the Insurance Institute that goes to withdrawing citizenship from Palestinians who do not pay the debts. He also warned of the repercussions of the growing indebtedness on Jerusalemites which is becoming a "factor of economic displacement and expulsion that will be used by the occupation to displace Jerusalemites."

He added, "Since the poverty rate in Jerusalem is 78 per cent (according to reports and researches), the Jerusalemites will not be able to pay their debts as they can hardly live. Meanwhile, the Zionist institutions' laws require the reservation and confiscation of properties because of accumulated debts, which endangers the Jerusalemites. "

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