[JURIST] Israel's attorney general said Tuesday that he had previously been unaware of the government's secret seizure of Palestinian property in East Jerusalem under a 1950 land law. Attorney General Meni Manuz [official profile] called the plan illegal and ordered the government to halt it, arguing the law did not apply since many Palestinians were being kept from their land due to Israeli security measures. The government, which had indicated it would reconsider [JURIST report] the policy, denied that Manuz had not been informed. Under the Absentee Property Law of 1950, Israel may seize Arab lands without compensation. Israel's Haaretz has more on the government land policy, which was made public last month. Haaretz has local coverage of Manuz's statement, and BBC News has more.