Once again, the Israeli Occupation arrogantly reveals its true nature as a colonial entity which intends to clear Palestine from its people and replace them with Jewish colonists coming from all around the world. The Israeli Occupation had confiscated land, uprooted trees, destroyed crops, displaced people, and built colonies. It was not long before they unleashed the colonists allowing them to take over hilltops at first before expanding over whatever land they wish to capture.
The Israeli Governments facilitated that by providing them with electricity, water, roads network, and protection while taking over and destroying as much Palestinian property as possible in the process. It was not long before a wall was aroused to add to the suffering of the Palestinian communities.
A statistical view shows that the construction of the segregation wall in the West Bank used around 50,000 dunums of Palestinian lands as well as detaching around 725,000 dunums west of the wall and preventing Palestinians from accessing around 250,000 dunums which were classified as security buffer zone.
In addition, Israeli colonies were built over 188,000 dunums of Palestinian lands in the West Bank while still expanding. Road networks connecting these colonies have taken over around 87,000 dunums in addition to 875,000 dunums of buffer zones.
Consequently, more than 2,200,000 dunums of Palestinian lands were used to serve Israeli colonialism; most of these lands are located in areas classified 'C' according to Oslo Agreement. 59 % of areas classified 'C', which was supposed to be put under Palestinian control by the end of 1999 according to Oslo Agreement, is now under full Israeli control. Backed by undisputed American support, the Israeli colonization has increased reaching unprecedented rates in defiance of the International and Palestinian demands for immediate stoppage of colonization activities.
In 2011, the Israelis confiscated 12,000 dunums of land, bulldozed 2000 dunums, ravaged 20,000 trees, and demolished 200 residences and 400 other structures. Recently, the Israeli Occupation Authorities issued a law allowing colonists to freely open agricultural roads in the West Bank, claiming that it is crucial for 'state lands' security despite the fact that these lands are Palestinian and owned by Palestinians for generations.
Consequences…
Such an order will allow the colonists to not only take over and destroy Palestinian lands but also deeply penetrate helpless Palestinian communities. Knowing that 73 Israeli aggressions took place in the most recent olive-picking season the number is definitely going to multiply in coming years thanks to a law that is not concerned not only with the Palestinian rights but also organization and planning wise.
It is certain that the Israeli Occupation Army is going to provide these colonists with protection, and probably coordination and supervision when new attacks are being committed; attacks that have become 'legal' according to the Israeli new law. Such a law and such freedom to colonists will have drastic effects on Palestinian lives in general, especially the agricultural sector.
LRC as a Palestinian NGO monitoring Israeli violations of human rights as well as consolidating land development believe that such a law MUST be deferred before being put in effect; instead, the Israeli colonists should be kept on a leash and MUST not have such freedom to destroy. Such a law conceitedly and arrogantly defies the International laws and conventions.
We call for states, the United Nations, and humanitarian agencies to interfere to stop an Israeli crime that will destroy the people of Palestine. We also call the Arab League and the Islamic Conference Organization to provide Palestinian farmers with unlimited support to enable them to stand up against such an attack while considering the unlimited support given to the colonists.
Prepared by
The Land Research Center
LRC
