The Knesset State Control Committee is calling on the government to review the issues and considerations related to the transfer of the Sergei Compound in Russian Compound in Jerusalem to the Russian government.
A number of MKs and organizations, including the Legal Forum for the Land of Israel, are seeking to block the transfer of the Sergei Compound to the Russian government. Minister of Finance Ronnie Bar-On is due to hand over ownership and part of the holding of the property to the Russian government under an agreement reached between the parties.
At a State Control Committee discussion of the issue on Tuesday, several MKs objected to the agreement reached by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs because it was not approved by the cabinet or submitted to the Knesset for ratification. The MKs said that the property was being transferred without any substantial payment.
The Sergei Imperial Hospice was built in 1890 to house Russian pilgrims and comprises of an impressive structure and inner courtyard. It is named for Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich, a son of Tsar Alexander II and an uncle of the last Tsar, Nicholas II.
The Jerusalem District Court recently accepted a request by the Custodian General to transfer the Sergei Compound to state ownership plus NIS 10.9 million in rent paid for the property over the years. The property is currently occupied by the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel, which has rented it for 34 years and invested heavily in it. The Society is worried that transfer of the property to the Russian government will result in the termination of its rights and activities on the site.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on September 4, 2008
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