A Palestinian man has been allowed to be buried in a Jewish cemetery after imams refused to let him be buried in a Muslim cemetery because he sold real estate to Jews.

Alan Kirsh died in a traffic accident on November 4 and his family wanted him to be buried in the Muslim Cemetery in East Jerusalem. 

But he was refused because he had sold property to Jewish people in that area of the city.

His family was also refused permission to bring his body to the Al-Aqsa Mosque nor pitch a mourner's tent to receive guests.

Mr Kirsh's burial at the Muslim Cemetery was refused on the basis of a 1935 fatwa, that said "anyone who sells a home or land to Jews will not receive a Muslim burial".

But Aryeh Stern, the Ashkenazi chief rabbi in the city, declared Mr Kirsh could be buried in the cemetery as a "righteous gentile", Yvnet reported.

Rabbi Stern decreed Mr Kirsh could be buried in a section of the Jewish cemetery at Har HaMenuchot, for people with no religion.

He said: "Since the Muslims will not bury him, we must correct the distortion of justice, that results in unjust humiliation of a man whose only sin was being prepared to sell land to Jews.

“It is incumbent on us to honour a righteous gentile, and in this case a person who showed good will and was willing to take risks for the Jewish settlement.”