As a response to the decision of an Israeli court to demolish two residences in the colony of Beit El, Prime Minister Netanyahu orders the construction of new 300 residential units in the same colony
Violation: a tender for building 300 units in Beit El colony
Location: Beit El colony that is founded on lands of Dura Al-Qar’, Ein Yabrud, and Silwad villages
Date: 27/07/2015
Perpetrators: the Israeli occupation government
Victims: residents of the aforementioned villages
Details:
The Israeli occupation government is known to support all colonization activities in the areas of the West Bank; it never stops helping colonists to build new residential units in the area and to take over vast area of lands for the favor of colonial expansion plans, which, by now, changed the demography and the nature of the area.
During a session held on July 27, 2015, the Israeli occupation government ordered the construction of 300 new residential units in the colony of Beit El, which is located on confiscated lands from the villages of Dura Al-Qar’, Ein Yabrud, and Silwad. The colony is reported to be built in 1977 on a confiscated area of 1193 dunums; it populates 4627 colonists.
It is indicated that this decision was made to please the upset Council of Israeli Settlements in the West Bank after an Israeli court ordered the destruction of two residential units in the colony of Beit El. The units were ordered for demolition due to the reason that they were founded on a private Palestinian lands belonging to citizen AbdelRahman Qasim form the village of Dura Al-Qar’ .
It should be marked that the Israeli occupation government submitted a plea in that regard by the beginning of July to reconsider the order. The plea was rejected and the demolition took place by mid July 2015. A riot and a wrath was colonists’ response as a result.
It is decided for the new residential units to be built in the place of a previous military camp; the facility was evicted as per initiating the construction of the new units.
Land Research Center sees Israel continuous expansion on colonies in the West Bank and Jerusalem at the expense of Palestinian and lands a flagrant violation of Human Rights and all international laws and conventions, which prohibit disposition of public properties in occupied countries.
UN Security Council resolution 446, article 3 "Calls once more upon Israel, as the occupying Power, to abide scrupulously by the 1949 Fourth Geneva Convention, to rescind its previous measures and to desist from taking any action which would result in changing the legal status and geographical nature and materially affecting the demographic composition of the Arab territories occupied since 1967, including Jerusalem, and, in particular, not to transfer parts of its own civilian population into the occupied Arab territories;"
- Un Security Council resolution 452, article 3"Calls upon the Government and people of Israel to cease, on an urgent basis, the establishment, construction and planning of settlements in the Arab territories occupied since 1967, including Jerusalem;"
- Un Security Council resolution 465, Strongly deplores the continuation and persistence of Israel in pursuing those policies and practices and calls upon the Government and people of Israel to rescind those measures, to dismantle the existing settlements and in particular to cease, on an urgent basis, the establishment, construction and planning of settlements in the Arab territories occupied since 1967, including Jerusalem;
Calls upon all States not to provide Israel with any assistance to be used specifically in connexion with settlements in the occupied territories;
UN Security Council Resolution 449 of 1979: the Security Council determined:
- "that the policy and practices of Israel in establishing settlements in the Palestinian and other Arab territories occupied since 1967 have no legal validity and constitute a serious obstruction to achieving a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East"
UN Security Council Resolution 452 of 1979: states that
- "the policy of Israel in establishing settlements in the occupied Arab territories has no legal validity and constitutes a violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War of 12 August 1949" and "calls upon the Government and people of Israel to cease, on an urgent basis, the establishment, construction and planning of settlements in the Arab territories occupied since 1967, including Jerusalem."
UN Security Council Resolution 465 of 1980:
- It expressed concern at Israeli settlement policy in the Arab territories and recalled resolutions 237 (1967), 252 (1968), 267 (1969), 271(1969) and 298 (1971). It further called upon the State and people of Israel to dismantle such settlements. The resolution calls on all states ‘not to provide Israel with any assistance to be used specifically in connection with settlements in the occupied territories’.
Prepared by
The Land Research Center
LRC
