“Includes the Legalization of two New Illegal Outposts” New Mater plan approved for Five Illegal Settlement Northeast Of Ramallah

On November 9 , 2015, what is so-called “Higher Planning Council” in the Israeli Civil Administration related to the Ministry of Defense, approved a new master plan for   five illegal settlements located northeast of Ramallah Governorate. Moreover and according to the approved master plan , two illegal settlement outpost set to me legalized.

The five illegal settlements in Ramallah Governorate slated to expand are: Ma’aleh Mickhmas  (southeast) Rimonim (northeast), Kockav Hasha’ar (far northeast), Psagot (east)and Tel Zion part of Neve Yackov settlement (southeast). The  additional two outpost to be legalized are : Neve Erez and Mitzpe Dani ( attached to Ma’aleh Mickhmas settlement). See the map below:-

Map for the settlements and outposts to be expanded and Legalized

According to the approved master plan , 800 new housing units to be built in the illegal settlement of Ma’aleh Mickhmas by the year 2030 , and 300 housing units to be built in the settlement of Kochav Hasha’ar where in a total 2,200 housing units to be built in the settlements (Kochav Hasha’ar, Rimonim. Ma’aleh Mickhmas and Psagot) by the year 2030.Also,  an additional commercial and tourism facilities and an educational town to be built in the aforementioned settlements.

It is worth pointed that the “Higher Planning Council” in the Israeli Civil Administration, and following a green light from the Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon, had started  the hearings about  the plan in October 21, 2015, while the final approval decision was reached in a session held in November 3, 2015. (The Israeli Defense Minister  Ya’alon’s adviser on settlement issues, Koby Eliraz, attended the council hearing, which is considered semantic unusual).

% 1300 ……Space Swelling  in one Single Settlement

An analysis conducted by the geo-informatics department at the Applied Research Institute Jerusalem –ARIJ, found that the master plans adopted by the Civil administration in early 90 s for the five aforementioned settlements , as well as for most of the settlements in the oPt, constitute a tremendous future expansion and inflation for the settlements on the expense of the nearby Palestinian lands.

 As for the settlement of  Rimonim it would be inflated to % 1300 from its current area by years, while Ma’aleh Mickhmas settlement area would jump to  % 233 according to the master plan of the settlement. See the table below:-

Netanyahu New Strategy… Retroactively Settlement Dilate

Obviously , the Israeli political and military Bureaus systematically moving forward and steadily toward an approvals and significant expansions in the illegal West Bank settlements.

On October 29, 2015 , the Israeli media revealed that the Israeli Civil Administration related to the Israeli Defense Ministry , retroactively, approved “ zoning plans” for an existing 715 housing units in four illegal settlements in the West Bank. The new approvals including the legalizing of 337 housing units in the settlement of Yakir, 94 housing units in the settlement of Shilo, 187 housing units in the settlement of Itamar and 97 housing units in Sensana settlement located in the southern parts of the West Bank.

Moreover  and on October 23, 2015, the Israeli Yedot Ahranot daily newspaper revealed on Netanyahu’s approval for significant expansion for the illegal settlement of Itamar south east of the city of Nablus. According to the newspaper, the Israeli Prime Minister decision came following a protest in front of his house . The aforementioned plan retroactively approves buildings that are already standing in Itamar and further grants permits for the construction of schools, kindergartens and other public institutions.

More than that and on October 1, 2015, the Israeli daily newspaper “Haaretz”, revealed on the Israeli Government intention to legalize four illegal outposts northeast of Ramallah Governorate. According to the newspaper, the plan came as a response from the Israeli Supreme Court to “Yeash Din” -Israeli human rights organization- to evacuate the illegal settlement of ‘Adi ‘Ad east of the illegal settlement of Shilo which was built on private Palestinian land.

Moreover , and in its response, the Israeli prosecution informed the court concerning the Israeli government intention to legalize the aforementioned outpost as well as three other outposts (Kida, Yeash Kodesh and Ahiya) that are located eastward to the settlement of Shilo

891 Housing Units approved in Gilo settlement

On November  10, 2015, and while the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the US, what is so-called “Jerusalem Committee for Planning and Construction” approved a new colonial plan for 891 housing units in the illegal settlement of Gilo south of Jerusalem and north of Bethlehem Governorate.

The plan will see the construction of new homes in an empty area between Gilo and the Palestinian city of Beit Jala.

It is worth mentioning that the plan was submitted and approved in 2013, but the planning was stopped as a result of the unofficial construction freeze in Jerusalem. After the committee approves the re-division of the plots, it will essentially green light the project, allowing it to move forward.

The Israeli Municipality of Jerusalem   indicated about the new plan : "This is not an approval of construction plans, as the plans have been approved two years ago in a district committee… This is a strictly technical process of correcting the internal borders of the plots."!!

The details of the construction plan as published in Yediot Ahranot Israeli newspaper

To Sum Up

Israel is moving forward with its colonial and expansionist projects in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) through reinforcing the existence of the illegal settlements, outposts, and other colonial structures in the occupied West Bank.

The  existence of the Israeli settlements in the West Bank and their expansions are Illegal and contradicts with the international law rules, United Nations Security Council Resolutions such as 237 (1967), 271 (1969), 446 (1979),  452 (1979) ,465 (1980.

• Resolution 446 March 22, 1979 calls on Israel 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"
• Also the resolution 452 of the 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 since 1967 including east Jerusalem.

• United Nation Security Council Resolution 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 occupied Territory since 1967, including Jerusalem.'
• Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949: 'the occupying power shall not deport or transfer parts of its own population into the Territory it occupies.'
• The Roadmap of Peace signed on April 30, 2003  between Israel and the Palestinians (originally developed by the United States, in cooperation with Russia, the European Union, and the United Nations (the Quartet)) under which the Israeli Government agreed to freeze all settlement, indicated that: The -Government of Israel- immediately dismantles settlement outposts erected since March 2001, and, consistent with the Mitchell Report, [Government of Israel] freezes all settlement activity (including natural growth of settlements).The plan was adopted by the USCR 1515-2003.

Prepared by:  
The Applied Research Institute – Jerusalem