- Bethlehem Governorate
- Historical Background of the Changing boundaries of Bethlehem Governorate
- Bethlehem Governorate under the Oslo Accord
- The Israeli settlements’ Activities in Bethlehem Governorate
- Israeli Settlements & Israeli Settlement outposts in Bethlehem Governorate
- Projected Israeli Plans in Bethlehem Governorate
- Bethlehem Governorate and the Israeli Western Segregation Wall
- The Negative Impact of the Segregation Wall on Bethlehem Governorate
- The Israeli Eastern Segregation Zone in Bethlehem Governorate
- Israeli Checkpoints (obstructions) in Bethlehem Governorate
- The Israeli bypass roads in and around Bethlehem Governorate
- Israeli Terminals in Bethlehem Governorate
- Israeli Military Orders in Bethlehem Governorate
- To recap
Bethlehem Governorate under the Oslo Accord
The Oslo II Interim Agreement signed in September 1995 between the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) and Israel, concluded Israel withdrawal from more areas of the West Bank and that occupied territory be divided into Areas “A”, “B” and “C”, which are designated as varying levels of control. Accordingly, the Israeli Army withdrew from lands classified as areas “A”, and the Palestinian National Authority assumed complete control. This marked the first time that a Palestinian Government retained sovereignty over any Palestinian land. In area B, the Palestinians have full control over civil matters but Israel continues to have overriding responsibility for security. In area C, Israel retains full control over land, security, people and natural resources. This jagged distribution of areas “A”, “B”, “C”, has scattered the Occupied Palestinian Territory and turned it into isolated cantons, which are physically separated from each other.
|
||||
Area
|
Area in Km2
|
%
|
Population
|
%
|
Area A
|
47.64
|
7.8
|
123646
|
54.8
|
Area B
|
33.85
|
5.5
|
73954
|
32.8
|
Area C
|
423.98
|
69.7
|
24881
|
11
|
Nature Reserves
|
102.40
|
17
|
3086
|
1.4
|
TOTAL
|
607.87
|
100
|
225,567
|
100
|
Table 2: Israeli violations in Bethlehem Governorate during the years 1994 & October 2011
|
|||
|
|||
Date
|
Land Confiscated
(Dunum) |
Uprooted
Trees |
Houses
Demolished |
1994
|
3433
|
2486
|
0
|
1995
|
200
|
0
|
0
|
1996
|
300
|
0
|
0
|
1997
|
13550
|
800
|
12
|
1998
|
12504
|
3440
|
13
|
1999
|
843
|
530
|
3
|
2000
|
3219
|
2990
|
2
|
2001
|
3655
|
3360
|
3
|
2002
|
1453
|
3550
|
13
|
2003
|
5476
|
27183
|
30
|
2004
|
9694.2
|
1576
|
50
|
2005
|
3514.9
|
2864
|
13
|
2006
|
1277
|
1515
|
20
|
2007
|
3634
|
6120
|
6
|
2008
|
218.7
|
350
|
3
|
2009
|
2808
|
273
|
1
|
2010
|
215
|
1395
|
9
|
October 2011
|
2581
|
757
|
10
|
Total
|
68576
|
59189
|
188
|
Israeli Settlement
|
Date of Establishment
|
Israeli Built-up Area (Dunum)
|
Population 2011
|
Geva’ot
|
1984
|
135
|
66
|
Gilo
|
1971
|
2737
|
44521
|
Hadar Betar
|
1978
|
58
|
74
|
Har Homa
|
1997
|
2204
|
22261
|
Har Gilo
|
1972
|
414
|
630
|
Betar ‘Illit
|
1985
|
4685
|
39736
|
Efrat
|
1979
|
2180
|
9239
|
El’azar
|
1975
|
536
|
2045
|
Rosh Zurim
|
1969
|
893
|
618
|
Allon Shevut
|
1971
|
1003
|
3284
|
Neve Daniyyel
|
1982
|
584
|
2107
|
‘Ayn Fashkhah
|
1969
|
97
|
0
|
Mshoki Dargot
|
1991
|
77
|
87
|
Mizpe Shalem
|
1980
|
439
|
223
|
Nokdim
|
1982
|
408
|
1456
|
El David (Kfar Eldad)
|
1999
|
222
|
285
|
Tekoa
|
1977
|
1070
|
1777
|
Avenat
|
1983
|
124
|
112
|
Giva’t Ha-Matos
|
1991
|
288
|
0
|
Total
|
|
18154
|
128521
|
"Everybody has to move, run and grab as many hilltops as they can to enlarge the settlements because everything we take now will stay ours …everything we don’t grab will go to them."
Ariel Sharon addressing a meeting of militants from the extreme rightwing Tsomet party, Agence France Presse, November 15, 1998.
|
|
Table 4: Israeli Settlements’ Outposts in Bethlehem Governorate
|
||
|
Closest Mother Settlement
|
No. of Structures
|
Outpost Name
|
1
|
Allon Shevut
|
40
|
Givat Hahish
|
2
|
El’azar
|
40
|
Derech Ha’avot
|
3
|
Efrat
|
41
|
Giva’t Hatamar
|
4
|
El David (Kfar Eldad) & Izdeba
|
18
|
Ma’ale Rehavam
|
5
|
Tekoa
|
26
|
Tekoa B & C
|
6
|
Efrat
|
40
|
Giva’t Hadagan
|
7
|
El David (Kfar Eldad) & Izdeba
|
25
|
Sde Bar (Educational Institute)
|
8
|
Tekoa
|
26
|
Taqu’ D
|
9
|
Neve Danyyiel
|
12
|
Neve Danyiel North
|
10
|
Tekoa
|
1
|
South east Tekoa
|
11
|
Tekoa
|
20
|
Tekoa D
|
12
|
Nokdim
|
0
|
South East Nokdim
|
13
|
Mshoki Dargot
|
7
|
South Mshoki Dargot
|
14
|
Kalya
|
3
|
South Kalya
|
|
Total
|
299
|
|
Table 5: Status of the Israeli Segregation Wall in Bethlehem Governorate
|
|
Wall Status
|
Length (Km)
|
Existing Sections
|
30.5 (Km)
|
Planned Sections
|
39 (Km)
|
Under Construction Sections
|
5.5 (Km)
|
Total Wall Length
|
75 (Km)
|
Of total Wall length runs on the Green Line = 3.2 (Km)
|
Table 6:Israeli Checkpoints in Bethlehem Governorate
|
|
Type of Checkpoint
|
No. of Checkpoints
|
Barrier Gate
|
8
|
Checkpoint
|
6
|
Earth mound
|
3
|
Observation Tower
|
11
|
Road Block
|
1
|
Road Gate
|
4
|
Partial Checkpoint
|
2
|
Total
|
35
|
Table 7: The Israeli controlled Terminals in Bethlehem Governorate
|
|||
Terminal’s Name
|
Function
|
Location
|
Status
|
Umm Salamuna
|
Commercial
|
South of Bethlehem
|
Under Construction
|
Rachel-Gilo 300
|
Crossing
|
North of Bethlehem
|
Operational
|
Mazmuria
|
Commercial
|
East of Bethlehem
|
Under Construction
|
Al Walajeh
|
Crossing
|
North of Bethlehem
|
Planned
|
Al Khader
|
Crossing
|
West of Bethlehem
|
Under Construction
|
Al Jab’a
|
Commercial
|
Southwest of Bethlehem
|
Planned
|
Table 8: Israeli Military Orders in Bethlehem Governorate
|
||
Type of Military Order
|
No. of Orders
|
|
House Demolition
|
168
|
|
Land Confiscation
|
State Land
|
58
|
Segregation Wall
|
43
|
|
Military Uses
|
28
|
|
Total
|
297
|
Table 9, shows a look on what to become of Bethlehem Governorate under Israeli Unilateral activities to inflict facts on the ground.
|
|||
Bethlehem
|
Area
608 Km2
|
100%
|
Remarks
|
Palestinian control
|
47.6
|
7.8
|
This includes area “A” where Palestinians have comprehensive control
|
Palestinian
Semi- control
|
33.8
|
5.6
|
This includes area “B” where Palestinians have administrative control. It also exclude 4Km2 located within the Segregated Zone
|
Nature Reserve
Area
|
102.4
|
16.8
|
Under Sharm Esh Sheikh Memorandum (Phase Three of March 2000, the area was set to go under Palestinian control. However, Israel still maintain control on it to this day
|
Area Under Israeli Control which includes Area C, The Israeli Declared Closed Military Area and the Israeli Segregation Zones area.
|
424
|
69.8
|
Area under Israeli control located east of the Israeli Segregated Zone and the west of the Nature Reserve Area and the Closed Military Area. Most likely to be negotiated to turn over to Palestinian control at the time the negotiation between the Palestinians and Israeli side in resumed
|
|
|||
Total
|
607.8
|
100
|
|
Settlements’ outposts, is a technique improvised by Israeli officials in cooperation with the Israeli settlers; under which the latter seize hilltops and certain locations in close proximity to existing settlements in order to annex the location to the settlement –if it exist within the master plan area of the settlements – all of which under the direct protection of the Israeli Army.
When the Palestinian National Authority came into power, it redrew the administrative boundaries of the West Bank Governorates. Upon the new alignment, Bethlehem Governorate covers 607.6 km2, with five main cities (Bethlehem, Beit Jala, Beit Sahour, Al Khader and Al Doha) and 70 localities including 3 refugees’ camps. Today, the Governorate is a home to 225,567 Palestinian inhabitants today (PCBS 2010).