Stop-work Orders in Bruqin -Salfit Governorate

Violation: stop-work orders for a mosque, a school and a shack.

Location: Bruqin – western Salfit.

Date: June 12, 2011.

Perpetrators: the Israeli Occupation Inspection and Construction Subcommittee.

Victims: Bruqin residents, especially pupils.

 

According to the religious ethical code and the International agreements, the worship sites are to be protected and shall not be ‘persecuted’. However, the Israeli Occupation does not recognize any of the agreed upon conventions.

 

Tens of Mosques have been destroyed, burned, and defiled in past years; the most recent was the attack on Ali Ibn Abi Taleb Mosque in Bruqin.

 

On June 12, 2011,the Israeli Occupation Inspection and Construction Subcommittee served the mosque a stop-work order on the pretext that the mosque was built in area classified ‘C’ according to Oslo and that it failed, so far, to acquire the needed construction permit. It is the second notification that was issued against the mosque. The order gave the village a respite till June 30, 2011, the date of the scheduled hearing session in Beit El Military Court.

 

The Israeli Occupation served Bruqin Elementary School for girls a stop work order on the same pretext. The school construction was completed in September, 2010 in a project funded by the USAID. The 1200-m2-school was supposed to start serving students from September, 2012. It must be pointed that the school is located within the village’s Organizational plan.

 

‘Krima Samara stated to an LRC observer: ‘The Israelis claim that the school was built before acquiring the necessary permits; the truth is that the school is located within the village’s organizational plan which contradicts the Israeli claims. The Israelis tend to hinder education in the village and strangle the village’.

 

The Israeli Occupation served Mu’ayyad Baker, a resident of Bruqin, a stop-work order for an agricultural shack which he uses to raise chicken. The Israeli claim that the shack is located in area classified ‘C’ according to Oslo Agreement. Around 75 similar orders have been distributed all around the village in past years; the residents are not allowed to build any kind of structures in areas classified ‘C’.

 

The village organizational plan consists of 1478 dunums which is less than what is needed for natural growth purposes. The residents have been trying, in vain, to change the organizational plan. The Israeli reject any proposal, depriving the Palestinians from their right to adequate housing.

 

The order gave the owner a respite till June 30, 2011, the date of the scheduled hearing session in Beit El Military Court. It is located 13 km to the west of Salfit city; it is one of the Palestinian villages that depend mostly on agriculture in its income. The village total area is 13273 dunums including 1336 dunums of built-up area inhabited by around 3500 people. 1200 dunums are planted with olives while 3000 dunums are used for herding purposes; the rest (8000 dunums) are under the nearby colonies control.