Israel announces new settlement plans in East Jerusalem

April 2, 2011

On the 29^th of March 2011, the daily Israeli Newspaper ”Haaretz” published on its website that the Jerusalem District planning and construction committee has approved the construction of 1608 housing units in two Israeli settlements in east Jerusalem. The planned housing units are to be built in the settlements of Har Homa (Abu Ghneim Mountain) south of Jerusalem city and Pisgat Ze’ev north of Jerusalem. Table 1:-

Table 1: Israeli plans in settlements in East Jerusalem
No.	Settlement Name	No. of Housing Units
1	Har Homa (Abu Ghneim Mountain)	983
2	Pisgat Ze’ev	625
Total	—–	1608
Source: Haaretz Daily Newspaper 201

It is worth mentioning that the plan to build 983 units in Har Homa settlement holds number 10310 and was deposited for public review on November 8, 2010 during which, the public was granted a 60 days period of time to file objections and reservations to the plan before approving it. While tenders to build the 625 units in Pisgat Ze’ev holds number no. 11647 “Pisgat Ze’ev North”and was deposited for public review on December 1, 2011.

Also, on April 4, 2011, the planning and building committee at the Israeli Municipality of Jerusalem announced that a plan to build 942 housing units in Gilo settlement south of Jerusalem city will be discussed and later to be deposited for public review. The 942 housing units are to be built in the area between Gilo Settlements from its western side and village of Al Walajah, near the Cremisan Monastery. See Map 1

Israeli plans and Tenders in Har Homa, Pisgat Ze’ev and Gilo settlements

Israeli’s plan to intensify settlement construction within the boundaries of Jerusalem city and it surroundings comes within a larger plan which aims at transforming Jerusalem into what the Israelis call ‘Greater Jerusalem’. After Israel occupied the West Bank and the Gaza strip in 1967 and illegally and unilaterally redefined the boundaries of East Jerusalem, it deliberately launched several settlements’ projects in the city and its environs which intensified the Jewish presence in the city. The plans deposited for the Har Homa, Pisgat Ze’ev and Gilo settlements clearly highlight the intention of the Israeli Government to change the geographical and demographic status of the city of Jerusalem in a way that suits the Israeli visions of annexation at the same time, obstruct and hinder the urban expansion of Palestinian Communities in the city. Below is a description of the settlements slated for expansion and the plans that contributed much to their development throughout the years:-

1- Har Homa settlement (Abu Ghneim Mountain) was established in 1997 on lands owned by Bethlehem, Beit Sahour, Sur Baher and Umm Tuba communities. Today, the settlement occupies a total land area of 2205 dunums and houses a total population of around 20000. Since its establishment in 1997, Har Homa settlement was targeted with many expansion plans that played a good role in its development. Table 1 gives details of the plans and tenders what were issued for Har Homa settlement since 2007 and till February 2011:

Table 1: Israeli Plans and Tenders in Har Homa settlement south of Jerusalem city
No.	Settlement Name	No of Housing Units	Date of announcement
1	Har Homa	1000	January 9, 2007
2		307	December 4, 2007
3		500	December 23, 2007
4		1000	January 23, 2008
5		350	February 12, 2008
6		360	March 10, 2008
7		121	May 31, 2008
8		910	July 10, 2008
9		130	August 8, 2008
10		1768	June 20, 2009
11		117	December 28, 2009
12		1500	March 11, 2010
13		117	March 15, 2010
14		1900	September 29, 2010
15		978	November 9, 2010
	Total	11058
Source: ARIJ Monthly Reports Database 2007-2011

Map 2: Har Homa Settlement (Abu Ghneim Mountain)

2- While Pizgat Ze’ev settlement was established in 1985 on a previously confiscated land from Beit Hanina and Hizma towns, located to the north of Jerusalem city. The settlement occupies a total land area of 1546 dunums and houses a total population of 41882 settlers. It is worth to mention that during the period of 2007 and February 2011, 13362 housing unit were issued to be built in Pizgat Ze’ev settlement. Table 2 gives details of the tenders and plans in Pisgat Ze’ev settlements during the aforementioned period:-

Table 2: Tenders and plans in Pisgat Ze’ev settlement north of Jerusalem city
No.	Settlement Name	No. of housing units	Date of Announcement
1	Pisgat Ze’ev	1700	January 23, 2008
2		750	February 12, 2008
3		600	March 31, 2008
4		763	May 31, 2008
5		900	July 10, 2008
6		735	August 8, 2008
7		707	June 20, 2009
8		450	August 20, 2009
9		486	September 9, 2009
10		198	December 29, 2009
11		60	February 19, 2010
12		600	February 26, 2010
13		1500	March 11, 2010
14		874	March 12, 2010
15		874	March 15, 2010
16		600	June 25, 2010
17		60	July 4, 2010
18		32	July 12, 2010
19		220	August 4, 2010
20		80	October 15, 2010
21		452	October 27, 2010
22		625	December 12, 2010
23		32	January 18, 2011
24		64	February 14, 2011
	Total	13362
Source: ARIJ Monthly Reports Database 2007-2011

3- Gilo settlement is located to the south of Jerusalem city and northwest of Bethlehem city. It was established in 1971, on lands of Beit Jala, Sharafat and Jerusalem city. The settlement occupies a total land area of 2738 dunums and houses a total population of around 40000 Israeli settlers. During the years 2007 and February 2011, the settlement of Gilo was targeted with a number of expansion plans. Table 1 gives details of the plans and tenders that were issued in Gilo settlement during the aforementioned period.

Table 3: Plans in Gilo Settlement
No.	Settlement Name	No. of Housing Units	Date of Announcement
1	Gilo	150	May 13, 2008
2		850	June 6, 2008
3		2570	March 7, 2009
4		900	November 17, 2009
5		3000	March 11, 2010
6		130	November 13, 2010
7		90	December 15, 2010
8		1400	January 16, 2011
Total		9090
Source: ARIJ Monthly Reports Database 2007-2011

The International Legal Status of the Israeli settlements:

Since 1967, Israel has engaged in a systematic campaign to usurp Palestinian land in the occupied Palestinian territory for the establishment of Israeli settlements. The implementation of this illegal campaign came through two axes: the first axis is the annexation of occupied East Jerusalem and its environs, and the second axis is the policy of confiscation in the rest of the Occupied Palestinian Territory. The Israeli government also issued a number of laws that have expanded the scope of the jurisdiction of local law to include the annexation of occupied East Jerusalem, the city in clear violation of international law.

One thing seems to be sure that Israel is moving forward with its plan to build new housing units in existing settlements in the West Bank with particular focus on Settlements in East Jerusalem despite International condemnation :-

The United Nations Security Council Resolution No. 452 of 1979 ‘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.’
The United Nations Security Council Resolution 446, on March 22, 1979 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 in the Middle East.’
The International Court of Justice advisory opinion of July 9, 2004 addresses the issue of settlements in the West Bank in general, stating that “the Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (including East Jerusalem) have been established in breach of international law.”
The Forth Geneva Convention which also states in Article 49 that” The occupying power shall not deport or transfer parts of its own population into the territories it occupies.”
Furthermore the Forth Geneva Convention in Article 174 also prohibits the ”extensive destruction and appropriation of property not justified by military necessity and carried out unlawfully and wantonly.”