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The “Summer Camp Of Destruction:” Israeli High
Schoolers Assist The Razing Of A Bedouin Town,
By Max Blumenthal, 31 July 2010
AL-ARAKIB, ISRAEL — On July 26, Israeli police demolished 45 buildings
in the unrecognized Bedouin village of al-Arakib, razing the entire
village to the ground to make way for a Jewish National Fund forest.
The destruction was part of a larger project to force the Bedouin
community of the Negev away from their ancestral lands and into
seven Indian reservation-style communities the Israeli government has
constructed for them. The land will then be open for Jewish settlers,
including young couples in the army and those who may someday be
evacuated from the West Bank after a peace treaty is signed. For now,
the Israeli government intends to uproot as many villages as possible
and erase them from the map by establishing “facts on the ground” in
the form of JNF forests. (See video of of al-Arakib’s demolition here).
Moments before
the destruction
of the Bedouin
village of al-
Arakib, Israeli
high school age
police
volunteers
lounge on
furniture taken
from a family's
home. [The
following four
photos are by
Ata Abu
Madyam of Arab
Negev News.]
Israeli
police
youth
volunteers
pick
through
the
Arab Negev News publisher Ata Abu Madyam supplied me with a series
of photos he took of the civilians in action. They depicted Israeli high
school students who appeared to have volunteered as members of the
Israeli police civilian guard (I am working on identifying some
participants by name). Prior to the demolitions, the student volunteers
were sent into the villagers’ homes to extract their furniture and
belongings. A number of villagers including Abu Madyam told me the
volunteers smashed windows and mirrors in their homes and defaced
family photographs with crude drawings. Then they lounged around on
the furniture of al-Arakib residents in plain site of the owners. Finally,
according to Abu Matyam, the volunteers celebrated while bulldozers
destroyed the homes.
“What we learned from the summer camp of destruction,” Abu
Madyam remarked, “is that Israeli youth are not being educated on
democracy, they are being raised on racism.” (The cover of the latest
issue of Madyam’s Arab Negev News features a photo of Palestinians
being expelled to Jordan in 1948 juxtaposed with a photo of a family
fleeing
al-
Arakib
last
week.
The
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It may be expected, however, that some of the bills that the Knesset
started promoting in the previous session will be actively promoted
further in the upcoming session. Following is a list of bills that we
believe carry high probability of promotion and even ratification, with
such or other wording, and turn into state laws in the coming Winter
Session.
1. The Nakba Bill (Alex Miller)
According to this bill, persons marking Nakba Day as a day of mourning
for the establishment of the State of Israel will be sentenced to prison.
The government endorsed the bill but, in the wake of public protests,
its wording was changed to state that persons marking Nakba Day
shall be denied public funds. Even this "minimized" version still legally
impairs on the freedom of expression, as the political majority bans a
certain political view.
Status: The bill passed the first reading and will be discussed by the
Knesset Constitution, Law, and Justice Committee ahead of its second
and third reading.
2. Anti-Incitement Bill (Zvulun Orlev)
An amendment of the existing act, according to which persons
publishing a call that denies the existence of the State of Israel as a
Jewish and democratic state shall be arrested. This is an extension of
the penal code, which intends to incriminate a political view that
another political group does not accept.
Status: Passed the preliminary reading and may be discussed by the
Knesset Constitution, Law, and Justice Committee ahead of its first
reading.
3. Nationalization, Pledge of Allegiance (David Rotem)
According to this bill, all Israeli citizens will have to pledge allegiance
to the State of Israel as Jewish a democratic state, and do a term of
military or national service.
Status: The government did not endorse this bill; a ministerial
committee rejected it in May 2010, but another attempt was made in
July to get the cabinet to endorse it and failed. Additional attempts to
promote this bill may be expected.
4. Bill on Admission Committees of Communal Settlements
(David Rotem, Israel Hason, Shay Hermesh)
According to this bill, admission committees may turn down candidates
for membership with a communal settlement if they "fail to meet the
fundamental views of the settlement," its social fabric, and so on. The
bill primarily intends to deny ethnic minorities' access to Jewish
settlements, offering the possibility to reject anyone who does not
concur with the settlement committee's positions, religion, political
views, and so on. It should be noted that ACRI filed petition against this
bill, which is pending with the HCJ. [5]
Status: The bill passed the first reading and will be discussed by the
Knesset Constitution, Law, and Justice Committee ahead of its second
and third reading.
5. Bill on Funds from Foreign Political Entities (Elkin et al)
According to the (original version) of this bill, any person or group
financed by a foreign nation must register with the party registrar and
immediately report each contribution, mark every document in this
spirit, and state at the opening of any remark they make that they are
funded by a foreign state. The bill names strict penalties too. In
practice, the bill intends to delegitimize and impair on the activities of
organizations that receive funds from, among other sources, foreign
states. Though the Israeli law already makes reporting such donations
imperative, this bill wishes to expand the existing law and force certain
civil organizations to mark their activities as subversive and
illegitimate. Furthermore, the bill practically refers to the activities of
specific civil groups, focusing on human rights organizations, implicitly
incriminating them when compared with other bodies or individuals
funded by foreign non-state entities.[6] It should be noted that we sent
a letter to the foreign minister recently warning against the state's
illegitimate intervention in fundraising by Israel's civil organizations.[7]
Status: An amended version of the bill was endorsed by the Knesset
Constitution, Law, and Justice Committee; and will soon be presented
for a first reading and then discussed by the committee ahead of its
second and third reading.
6. Bill on Infiltration (Government)
The bill stipulates, among other things, that infiltrators based on their
country of origin, and persons who assist them (!) may be sentenced to
5 to 7 years in prison. This bill follows the trend of delegitimizing
human rights and aid organizations and individuals who help refugees
and labor immigrants.
Status: The government pulled back the bill, but key points from it will
be introduced through a new bill which, to the best of our knowledge,
is currently drafted by the Justice Ministry.[8]
7. Bill Against Boycott (Elkin et al)
According to this bill, persons who initiate, promote, or publish material
that might serve as grounds for imposing a boycott against Israel are
committing a crime and a civil wrong, and may be ordered to
compensate parties economically affected by that boycott, including
fixed reparations to the tune of 30,000 shekels, freeing the plaintiffs
from the need to prove damages. If the felon is a foreign citizen, he
may be banned from entering or doing business with Israel; and if it is
a foreign state, Israel may not repay the debts it owes that state, and
use the money to compensate offended parties; that state may
additionally be banned from conducting business affairs in Israel. And if
that is not enough, the above shall apply one year retroactively.
This too is a bill that discriminates against certain political groups in
Israel, and is introduced by the political majority in an attempt to
neutralize the political opposition it is facing. Primarily, the bill intends
to reject legitimate boycotts of products of settlements, and thus
severely impairs on a legitimate, legal, and nonviolent protest tool that
is internationally accepted (including by Israel), while impairing on the
Israeli citizens' freedom of expression, protest, and congregation.[9]
Status: The bill passed a preliminary reading and the Knesset
Constitution, Law, and Justice Committee will discuss it ahead of its
first reading. It should be noted that a ministerial committee rejected
the chapters pertaining to foreign citizens and states, probably out of
consideration for Israel's foreign relations, and spiked the retroactive
clause.
8. Bill on Revoking the Citizenship of Persons Convicted of
Terrorism or Espionage (David Rotem)
This bill infringes on the basic rights of Israel's citizens because when a
citizenship (which in itself is a basic right) is denied, a series of basic
rights that follow from it are denied too. Furthermore, the Israeli Penal
Code already specifies ways of dealing with persons convicted of
terrorism or espionage.[10]
Status: The bill was discussed by the Knesset Interior Committee,
which will continue discussing it ahead of its first reading.
________________________________________________________________________
On top of these, two additional bills submitted over the past 2 months
may be promoted in the coming session:
1. An Associations Bill (ban on filing suits abroad against Israeli
politicians or army officers), according to which an association that
deals with suits against senior Israeli officials abroad may not be
established, or will be shut down.
2. Bill banning wearing veils in public, according to which, it would
be illegal to cover one's face in any public location, under penalty of
imprisonment.
________________________________________________________________________
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The Association for Civil Rights in Israel has compiled an extensive and
informative listing of pending legislation with potentially anti-
democratic consequences, including bills which could strip citizenship
from people having taken part in Gaza aid flotillas and penalties for
commemorating Naqba Day, the Palestinian day of mourning for the
events of 1948.
2. Deporting Children Who Want to be Israelis
What it is: Interior Minister Eli Yishai, chair of the ultra-Orthodox Shas,
has dug in his political heels to demand that the government expel 400
children of foreign nationals working in Israel, who no longer have valid
permits to stay. Many of the children were born in Israel. Most say they
feel that Israel is their home, and that they want to remain and
become citizens.
Why it matters: Yishai has cast the deportations as holding the line
against the possibility of millions of workers flooding into Israel, posing
threats of disease and demographic dilution of the Jewish character of
the state. In practice, however, the deportations come in lieu of a
coherent policy on refugees, asylum seekers, and foreign nationals.
Beyond this, most of the children know no other home, and like their
parents, have demonstrated strikingly good citizenship.
Where it stands: Yishai said this week that the deportations would
begin in a few weeks, adding that he could have ordered another
10,000 to leave the country, but did not.
What you can do: Voice your concerns to Education Minister Gideon
Sa'ar, who has led the effort for a cabinet reconsideration of the
deportations. Also, support groups working to help vulnerable resident
non-citizens, including Physicians for Human Rights-Israel, Kav Laoved
and Hotline for Migrant Workers.
3. Expanding settlement in East Jerusalem
What it is: Plans to further expel Palestinians in order to install Jews in
homes in the flashpoint areas of Silwan and Sheikh Jarrah, and to
create a large tourism area to promote the City of David settler tourism
enterprise.
Why it matters: Any changes in Jerusalem, in particular operations in
which the municipality and the police shield and foster settlement
expansion can have devastating consequences.
Where it stands: City officials are watching closely, waiting for protests
and U.S. scrutiny to die down, before ordering new expulsions into
effect.
What you can do: Support the protests. Attend. Monitor events. Make
your concerns known to members of congress, senators, the President.
4. Resuming Construction of the Jerusalem Museum of
Tolerance
What it is: A mammoth, contentious project of the Simon Wiesenthal
Center of Los Angeles, built on an ancient Muslim cemetery in the
heart of the Holy City's downtown.
Why it matters: The location of the excavation work, the extravagance
of the complex in a poverty-plagued city, and the insensitivity
demonstrated by Wiesenthal Center chief Rabbi Marvin Hier have
enraged Muslims and moderate Jews in the city and around the world.
Where it stands: The project has been faltering of late, following the
resignation of renowned architect Frank Gehry. But SWC has declared
its determination to go on, hastily hiring a new architectural team.
What you can do: Contact the Simon Wiesenthal Center and Jerusalem
Mayor Nir Barkat to urge that the project be put to an end.
5. Perpetuating the siege on Gaza
See Israel's 10 worst errors of the decade.
6. Using attack dogs against protesters sailing on aid boats to
Gaza
Enough said.
What you can do: See contact Defense Minister, above.
7. Barring entry and/or jailing and/or expelling additional Nobel
Peace Prize winners, intellectuals, authors, and clowns.
8. Gratuitously and intentionally angering Turkish and other
Mideastern neighbors.
9. Gratuitously and intentionally angering the U.S. and E.U.,
and giving them the impression that Israeli and Diaspora Jews
prefer settlements to peace with the Palestinians.
What you can do: Get involved with Americans for Peace Now, J Street,
the New Israel Fund, Tikkun, Ameinu, Meretz USA and any of the many
other organizations working at the local, national, and international
level on behalf of peace, democracy, and social justice in Israel.
10. Failing to indict Avigdor Lieberman for alleged money
laundering.
What you can do: Pray.
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Culture and Sports Minister Limor Livnat announced Monday that she
plans to force all state-funded culture institutions to perform all over
Israel as a condition for continuing their funding.
She spoke during a Knesset's Education and Culture Committee
session on the backdrop of the second artists' letter calling for a
boycott against the Ariel culture hall, which is located beyond the
Green Line.
The minister plans to extend an amendment to the criteria determining
the budgeting of all cultural institutions. A theater which refuses to
sign a commitment to perform anywhere across Israel will be deprived
of funding.
Livnat also declared her plan to grant a special annual award aimed at
encouraging "Zionist art" as a counter measure against what she
referred to "the left-wing campaign" against artists' performances in
the new Ariel cultural hall.
"The prize will be given in all fields of culture – performing arts, plastic
art, and cinema – in a bid to make it clear that we are against boycotts
and in favor of Zionist culture," the minister said.
"This move is a response to the recent de-legitimization attempts in
terms of the Ariel cultural hall. We are a democratic state, and artists
have the right to protest, but they have no right to boycott the State of
Israel's citizens and we will work to force cultural institutions to
perform across the country."
Tomer Velmer, Roni Sofer and Merav Yudilovitch contributed to this
report
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From:
Adv. Yossi Havilio, Legal Advisor to the Municipality
My opinion:
14. It is my opinion that in the course of the chain of events relating to
the matter in question, inappropriate acts were carried out, as will be
related hereinafter.
15. When a planner is hired by the Jerusalem municipality for preparing
a plan, any work carried out in relation to the plan or that refers to the
area being planned for another party, may raise the suspicion of a
conflict of interests. In light of this, it was explicitly stated in article 17
of the contract that:
The planner is forbidden from accepting directly in principle [sic], from
a public or private entrepreneur any planning work that relates to the
entire or part of the area being planned pursuant to this contract,
unless otherwise agreed by the municipality in advance and in writing.
The contract states explicitly that the municipality's prior and written
consent is required, and from the documents presented to me and
relying on the information given to me by the relevant municipality
employees, no written consent was given, which is inappropriate.
16. According to the documents transmitted to me by Adv. Shaked, a
request was allegedly sent to Architect Ofer Manor to sanction the
draft of the agreement between the Safdie firm and Hamaayan
company. Ofer Manor pleads he never received such a request, let
alone sanctioned it. Nor did Adv. Shaked present a written approval by
Ofer Manor or any other person.
17. As mentioned above, it is revealed from the material presented to
me that the Safdie firm's contract with Hamaayan company for the
carrying out of planning works within the area of Plan 11555 (subject of
the agreement between Safdie and the municipality) was done without
written approval form the municipality, contrary to the Safdie firm's
contract with the municipality.
18. The Elad association is a proprietor of lands and buildings in the
area of the plan. In light of this the Elad association has a direct and
significant interest in the plan and its instructions. The contract
between the Elad association (via Hamaayan company) and Safdie "for
the Jerusalem municipality," for the carrying out of planning works in
the area of the plan, and the payment, certainly of a significant sum
fixed at $89,200, to a planner hired by the Jerusalem municipality,
creates a real suspicion of a conflict of interests. The gravity of the
matter is increased when the plan in question refers to an extremely
important and sensitive area in the southern slopes of the Old City.
19. There is no evidence to the effect that the contract the Safdie firm
and Hamaayan company was approved by the municipality or was
known to any of its officials, hence I have no criticism regarding
municipality authorities involved in this matter. It is certainly
inappropriate for the Jerusalem municipality to hire planning services
for a certain area via a central interested party in the land in question,
as appears in the contract of the Safdie firm and Hamaayan company.
20. As mentioned above, the Elad association has a central interested
party in the land subject to the plan and in the instructions given in it.
From the meeting summaries that were submitted to me it is revealed
that representatives of the Elad association were present in the vast
majority of the meetings that took place in the municipality, and also
had tasks assigned to them, as if they were municipality employees.
This is inappropriate. A clear distinction must be made between
municipality employees handling a plan, or other civil servants such as
employees of the ministry of housing or the Israel Land Administration,
and persons representing a private party, regardless of their identity,
and certainly those who have an interest in the land and the plan.
21. From the material transmitted to me by Adv. Shaked, and from
what the city engineer communicated to me, the city engineer, city
architect and members of the district committee approve of involving
the public and interested parties in the drawing of plans, and these
were also the directions given to the Safdie firm. This is reasonable and
positive. However, there is a substantial difference between holding a
meeting or meetings of the planner hired by the municipality with
interested parties or their representatives, and the receipt of a
significant payment from an interested party for the planning, or the
fact that certain interested parties regularly attend the meetings of the
municipality steering committee, or working meetings between the
planner and the municipality relating to the plan. Such things were not
done with the other interested parties in the plan. This can create a
real suspicion for inequality between the Elad association and the other
interested parties in the area of the plan.
22. In the light of the above, I request that the city engineer will
examine the plan and ensure that it is a worthy plan, which is
acceptable by the Jerusalem municipality, and properly balances the
public interest with those of all interested parties. In addition, I request
that the city engineer or a person appointed by him will examine the
actions carried out by the Safdie firm according to the agreement with
Hamaayan company and will inform me whether in their opinion the
works done by it were ones that were included in the original
agreement with the municipality, or whether these are additional
works not included in the original agreement. In light of this opinion,
we will consider whether it is appropriate to take steps vis-à-vis the
Safdie firm.
23. As for the future, I request that in agreements with planners (and
with other professionals, mutatis mutandis), it will be ensured that the
agreement states explicitly that the planner will not carry out works in
the area of plan for a private party and/or will not receive from it any
reimbursement or instructions, unless this was approved in writing by
the authorized officials in the Jerusalem municipality, accompanied
with a written legal opinion. The maintenance of this condition in the
agreement must be upheld.
24. With regard to the participation of external parties, which are not
public parties sensu stricto, in a planning procedure initiated by the
Jerusalem municipality, there is no reason to prevent this, and it is also
desirable to have "public participation", which will include consultation
with various parties, including those who have interests in the land or
the plan. However, it must be seen to that this will remain in the
boundaries of a consultation and will not become a direct and active
participation in the preparation of the plan.
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Jerusalem Syndrome
Sheikh Jarrah Solidarity Movement, 23 September 2010
You never know what kind of a day you’ve woken up to in this city. Will
it be a lazy and serene day, the first day of a vacation that I’ve waited
so long for, or a day where the entire city turns into a Kafkaesque
story. But perhaps it’s not the city – but the people who live here. So
here’s the story: it’s about murder; the police; detainees; missing
people; hate; lies and loads of stupidity and folly. In short a typical day
in East Jerusalem.
1. The Murder: At around 4 AM one of the settlers’ private security
guards opened fire in the direction of some residents in Silwan. At least
one man was killed by the shots. 32 year old Samer Sarhan, a father of
five. These are all the facts that are certain. According to the security
guard he was pelted with stones and his life was in danger. According
to Silwan residents Samer was on his way from his home to work and
the guard prevented him from continuing, during the ensuing
argument the guard took out his pistol and fired.
2. The backdrop: The Jewish settlers in Silwan have a set up a private
armed militia for themselves, and we all foot the bill. 65 million New
Israeli Shekels ($17.5 Million) are paid out every year by the Israeli
Ministry of Housing to guard a couple of hundred Jewish settlers in the
middle of Palestinian neighbourhoods in East Jerusalem. The guards
are regularly briefed by the settlers, and very often are hired by the
heads of the right-wing organizations. The guards are armed only with
live ammunition. This is how an armed militia that is operated by the
settlers came to be.
These militiamen have opened with live fire at least seven times in the
last three months. And those are just the occurrences that I am aware
of, apparently there have been many more. This time it ended in
disaster.
3. Silencing: From the moment that the murder took place the
Jerusalem Police started a comprehensive operation to silence the
matter. Large police forces surrounded the event site and prevented
people from getting near. When it became known that a man was shot
in Silwan, the police spokesperson stated that it was the result of a
dispute between clans. This announcement was made hours after
police forces were at the site and had already questioned the security
guard. The pinnacle of the event for me was that the police reporters
that I talked to continued to assert during the course of the morning
that this was a case of a dispute between rival clans, despite the fact
that the guard reconstructed the event before our eyes. They sucked
up their information directly from the police spokesperson.
4. Missing people: Up until now, 18 hours after the event, nobody
knows exactly how many people were injured by the shooting. Early
rumours contended that there was another casualty, and 18 year-old
youth who was in the area. Jerusalem hospitals, the Institute for
Forensic Medicine in Abu Kabir and the Israeli Magen David Adom
refused to provide any information whatsoever regarding those injured
or killed during the event, and what their condition was. Even the
information that Samer was killed was given to his family only many
hours later. According to reporters a blanket silence such as this,
where no one is willing to provide information, many hours after the
event, was exceptional to say the least. Although we’ve already seen
situations where hospitals and Magen David Adom have been
threatened by the Israeli security forces and prefer not to become
embroiled, however, in general, after a couple of hours the information
becomes public. Not in this case. (As opposed to the conspicuous
prominence of hordes of Israeli hospital directors who are interviewed
after every Palestinian terrorist attack).
5. Arrest warrants against Israeli left-wing activists: How do you
get rid of a left-wing activist who’s in the area? For this too the police
have a creative solution. A “Solidarity Sheikh Jarrah” activist was
arrested in Silwan this morning and was taken in for a police interview
about an event that had taken place on April 30th this year. Their
timing is a bit curious, the activist was apparently to close to the crime
scene at the time that the security guard was reconstructing the
murder.
6. Meanwhile in Sheikh Jarrah…: 60 “Solidarity” activists and
Palestinian residents decided despite the events to build a sukkah in
the neighbourhood, next to one of the residents’ house. The sukkah
which was planned as part of the joint celebration of Sukkot (The
Jewish Festival of Booths) was also meant to serve as a mourners’ tent
regarding the murder in Silwan. Three building inspectors from the
Jerusalem Municipality (who apparently remembered that they are
supposed to provide services to East Jerusalem) turned up
accompanied by dozens of police and demolished the sukkah time
after time. Somehow they overlooked two giant sukkahs that the
Jewish settlers had built in the neighbourhood, not to mention
hundreds in the public domain throughout the city. And so, the peace
sukkah in Sheikh Jarrah became the only one to be destroyed during
the holiday.
7. Kafkaesque arrests: Two women activists were arrested during
the course of the inspectors’ courageous assault on the sukkah. Here
too the police achieved a new record for creativity. The arresting police
officer decided to arrest one of the activists since the Jewish settlers
might assault her in the future. And so the activist was brought into the
police station in order to ensure her safety. The brave soldier Schweik
would certainly be jealous of such a plot twist.
8. From the media: “Dozens of left-wing activists attempted to
approach the Tomb of Simon the Righteous in the area where Jews
reside in Sheikh Jarrah, the police prevented them and detained one
activist for interrogation regarding the breach of public peace and
assault against a police officer”. This is the wording of the police
announcement regarding the events in Sheikh Jarrah, which the media
hurried to parrot. This was definitely a comprehensive report regarding
an event in which activists constructed a sukkah next to a Palestinian
home, and the police destroyed it time after time. It’s interesting to
note that the Police doesn’t believe its own announcements: the proof
being that neither of the activists arrested was accused of assault.
9. At the end of the day: It’s now evening in Jerusalem. The festival
of lies, distortions and fictions has run its course. Apparently, only to
resume again tomorrow. Tomorrow will bring a new dawn, in which
each of us will have to choose between being a captive of the
“Jerusalem Syndrome” or to see one’s self as part of the hard reality,
to which the city awakes every morning.
Good night.
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Obama: East Jerusalem building plans 'unhelpful' to
peace efforts
EU urges Israel to 'reverse' plan for 1,300 East Jerusalem
homes; Israel also announces plans to build 800 homes in
Ariel.
By Barak Ravid, Haaretz, 9 November 2010
U.S. President Barack Obama cautioned Tuesday that Israel's plan to
construct 1,300 new homes in East Jerusalem could obstruct the
pursuit of peace in the Middle East.
"This kind of activity is never helpful when it comes to peace
negotiations," said Obama, adding that he was concerned Israel and
Palestinian were not making enough of an effort to advance peace
negotiations.
He also said he did not receive a briefing on the new construction,
which was announced as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was
visiting the United States.
The European Union earlier Tuesday urged Israel to reconsider its plan.
"This plan contradicts the efforts by the international community to
resume direct negotiations and the decision should be reversed," EU
foreign policy commissioner Catherine Ashton said in a statement.
"Settlements are illegal under international law, constitute an obstacle
to peace and threaten to make a two-state solution impossible."
The U.S. State Department said it was "disappointed" after it learned
Monday that 1,300 Jewish homes had been approved for construction
beyond the Green Line in East Jerusalem. Later in the day, it emerged
that Israel had also approved second plan to build 800 homes in the
West Bank settlement of Ariel.
The U.S. administration had been trying to persuade Netanyahu to
declare a second settlement freeze in the territories. "We were deeply
disappointed by the announcement of advance planning for new
housing units in sensitive areas of East Jerusalem," said U.S. State
Department Spokesman Philip J. Crowley. "It is counter-productive to
our efforts to resume direct negotiations between the parties."
The plan for a new neighborhood in the western part of Ariel has been
all but completed after years of litigation. Only the approval of the local
planning and building committee is needed for the work to begin. The
municipality supports the initiative.
The construction in Ariel has been the center of controversy between
Israel and the United States. While Israel sees Ariel as part of a large
settlement bloc, the United States sees it as a panhandle sticking into
the West Bank, intended to prevent Palestinian territorial contiguity.
Last month Ariel Mayor Ron Nachman met with Netanyahu in Tel Aviv
to discuss resuming construction in the city. "You don't know what
efforts I'm making to keep Ariel," Netanyahu reportedly told him. "The
whole world is against Ariel."
The area earmarked for Ariel's new neighborhood is next to the
Palestinian town Salfit. The compound is divided in two - state-owned
land and land privately owned by businessman Avraham Shamai.
Shamai sold the land a few years ago, but the buyers did not keep up
their end of the agreement and the land reverted back to Shamai after
prolonged litigation.
Since this is privately owned land, the developer may put up fences
and forge paths in preparation for construction with the approval of the
municipal planning committee; he does not need the Defense
Ministry's approval. Once the committee approves the plan, the
construction may begin.
Nachman told the city council last month that "they approved a
development contract. It's a very big thing."
He also spoke about building in other parts of Ariel. "We've resumed
construction in the industrial area in Ariel west," Nachman said. "Plants
that were frozen are being built now .... In the Moriah neighborhood
we've begun construction. There are 100 homes there by [construction
company] Netzarim and 195 others by another company; together
that's 295."
Referring to the construction approval, Ariel council member Yaakov
Emanuel told Haaretz that "the city is thriving. This means Ariel will
stay part of Israel."
Over the weekend, the chairman of the Jerusalem District Planning and
Building Committee, Ruth Yosef, published details of a program that
will Allalow 930 housing units to be built in the Har Homa C area, with
another 48 units in Har Homa B. An additional 320 units are planned
for Ramot, also beyond the Green Line.
The plan's publication is an important step in the process of its final
approval, due in a few months.
Jerusalem's municipal planning and construction committee issued
building permits yesterday for 32 housing units in the Pisgat Ze'ev
neighborhood in East Jerusalem.
Over the past year several diplomatic incidents have occurred when
Israel published building plans in East Jerusalem around the time of
meetings with senior U.S. officials. The worst row erupted in March
during Vice President Joe Biden's visit to Israel over plans for 1,600
new Jewish homes in another East Jerusalem neighborhood, Ramat
Shlomo.
Since then the prime minister has imposed rigorous restrictions on
Jerusalem's planning committees to prevent further crises.
Officials familiar with planning issues said they were astonished by the
timing of the publishing of these plans - on the eve of the prime
minister's trip to Washington. Construction of the neighborhood in Har
Homa at the end of the '90s, during Netanyahu's previous tenure as
prime minister, led to a crisis with the U.S. administration.
Orly Noy, spokeswoman for nonprofit group Ir Amim, said on the plans'
publication: "Israel is continuing to dictate, inch by inch, a dramatic
reality in Jerusalem that will significantly hamper any peace solution in
the future. This is especially blatant when the prime minister appears
to be advancing a possible solution in his visit to the United States."
The Interior Ministry said the program's details had been published in
accordance with the law and were approved long before they were
published.
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