“The Israeli Settlement Enterprise Ascends”
Plans for 1,432 Housing Units approved in less than two weeks

On July 3, 2016 , and during the Israeli so-called “Cabinet” meeting, the Israeli government declared the approval of plans for the construction 1300 housing units in Israeli settlement in the eastern part of the city of Jerusalem.

The “Cabinet” and in his aforementioned session, approved the construction of 531 housing units in the illegal settlement of Ma’aleh Adumim and an additional 169 housing units in the settlements of Ramot-Har Homa and Pisgat Ze’ev and 600 housing units in Giv’at Hamatos.

It is worth pointed that the 169 housing units in East Jerusalem (Ramot: plan No. 103753 for 120 units, Pisgat Ze'ev: Plan No. 143768 for 30  housing units and Har Homa: Plan No. 202481 for 19 housing units) were published for depositing while on July 6, 2016, the High Planning Committee approved plans for the 531 housing units in Ma'ale Adumim. The plan schemes for the construction of 531 housing units in the settlement of Ma’aleh Adumim holding numbers: (Plan 420/1/24 for 459 units- Plan 420/4/42 for 44 units while plan number 420/1/4/47 for 28 housing units.

Plan scheme  No. 420/1/1/24 for Ma’aleh Adumim Settlement

Plan scheme No. 143768 for Pisgat Ze’ev Settlement

Plan scheme No. 202481 in Har Homa settlement

 

NIS 50 Million and 42 Housing Units for Kiryat Arba’ Settlement

Later on and on July 10 2016, the Israeli government approved a transfer  approximately  NIS 50 Million Shekels ($13 million US),  to Kiryat Arba settlement in Hebron governorate at the southern part of the West Bank. The government decision came as a result of a proposed plan submitted by the Israeli Agriculture Minister “Uri Ariel” to strengthen local infrastructure, encourage resilience in Hebron.

Uri Ariel (Jewish Home extremist party), who initiated the project, indicated that "The terrorists are trying to remove us from here and we need to remain strong and connected. It has been clear since the early days of Zionism that we defeat Arab terror through settlement activity alongside security actions. That's how it is along Gaza, that's how it is on the northern border, and also on Har Hevron. Our message is that everywhere they murder us, we will add to the life. Everywhere they destroy, we will build and plant. It is always right to develop these communities, and especially during these times." (Israeli national news July 6, 2016)

Moreover, the Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and his Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman revealed their intention to re-open a tender No. 119/2016 for 42 housing units in the Israeli settlement of Kiryat Arba’.

90 Housing units in Gilo Settlement

On July 10, 2016 ,the  “Planning and construction Committee at the Israeli Municipality of Jerusalem approved permits for the construction of about 90 housing units in  the illegal Israeli settlement of Gilo east of the city of Jerusalem.

 

Settlements Housing Units approved Since July 1, July 16, 2016
No.	Settlement Name	Governorate	No. of Housing Units
1.	Ma’aleh Adumim	E. Jerusalem	531
2.	Ramot	E. Jerusalem	120
3.	Har Homa	E. Jerusalem	19
4.	Pisgat Ze’ev	E. Jerusalem	30
5.	Giv’at Hamatos	E. Jerusalem	600
6.	Gilo	E. Jerusalem	90
7.	Kiryat Arba’	E. Jerusalem	42
Total			1,432

 

Retroactively……  Legalization of Horesh Yaron illegal Outpost in Ramallah

On July 6, 2016 the so-called the High “Planning Committee” discussed plan number 235/11/1 meant to retroactively legalize the illegal outpost of Horesh Yaron, located northwest of the settlement of Talmon west of Ramallah, which includes an educational institution and housing for students and staff.

It is worth pointed that 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.

Furthermore ,the Israeli prosecution added that a work is being carried out to verify the borders of “state lands” in the area referred to as “Blue line team” at what is so-called Israeli Civil Administration as a preliminary stage for authorizing the outposts. After the team’s work is completed, the Israeli government would claim its intention to evacuate buildings found to be on private Palestinian land and authorize the buildings on what is so-called “ state land”!!. Sixteen buildings in ‘Adei Ad are estimated to be on private land according to the authorities.

32 Illegal Outposts Legalized Sine 2008

As a matter of fact the consecutive Israeli governments have not officially sanctioned the outposts’ sites, but certainly they have encouraged them by providing military protection and infrastructure services, in addition to occasional financial support. Many existing outposts have grown so large that they are in reality settlements. The number of outposts grew to a record high in 2013 of 232 outposts, not counting the dismantled outposts in various areas of the West Bank. Because the construction and expansion of the outposts have re-enforced the contiguity between the outposts and the mother settlements they contribute to the expansion of the territory illegally annexed by Israeli settlements.

At the request of former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, Talia Sasson, former head of the Israeli State Prosecution Criminal Department, prepared, on March 10, 2005, a report on the status of established Israeli outposts in the occupied West Bank. The report acknowledged more than 125 outposts in the West Bank. The outposts were classified as one third illegal, one third as uncertain status, and the remaining third as governmentally supported to connect the outpost's homes (caravans, mobile homes, etc.) to the water and electricity networks. Sasson also noted in her report;

During the years since the Sasson report, Israel is still equivocating by failing to dismantle the outposts in the West Bank. A few attempts were made, but Israeli settlers dismantled and relocated the outposts, or simply reestablished them on the original sites.

Since taking office in the year 2009, Netanyahu has authorized 31 illegal outposts and pushed plans to legalize much more outpost in all parts of the oPt.

Illegal outposts legalized/in process since April 2008-present
No	Outpost Name	Year of Est.	Legalization Date	Plan No.
1	Elisha (Zufit)	1999	5/11/2014	Plan No
2	Elmatan	2000	11/14/2012	203/5
3	Bruchin	1999	4/24/2012	116/5
4	Givat Habrecha	1997	4/1/2008	150
5	Givat Hadagan	2000	12/8/2011	235/3
6	Givat Hatamar	2002	1/15/2013	410/5, 410/5/1
7	Givat Salit	2001	4/2/2012	410/5, 410/5/1
8	Derech Haavot	2001	4/6/2014	301/2
9	Hayovel	1998	11/26/2011	In process
10	Haroe	2002	5/14/2013	In process
11	Zayit Raanan	2001	5/9/2013	In process
12	Haresha	1995	11/26/2011	235/2/4
13	Tal Menashe	2000	8/24/2008	In process
14	Kfar Eldad	1982	3/10/2011	166/1
15	New Migron	2012	5/3/2009	411/6/1
16	Maale Rehavam	2001	5/14/2013	Temporary Order
17	Mitzpe Eshtamoa	2003	3/24/2011	In process
18	Mitzpe Lachish	2002	11/12/2013	514/1/1
19	Nofei Nehemiah	2003	4/24/2012	521/1
20	Nahalei Tal	2012	5/9/2013	171; 171/4
21	Sensana	1999	4/24/2012	235/10
22	Rechelim	1991	4/24/2012	522
23	Ramat Gilad	2001	5/14/2013	171
24	Shvut Rachel	1991	10/23/2011	In process
25	Sde Bar	1998	8/21/2005	205/2
26	Neve erez	1996-2001	9/11/2015	411/1/1
27	Mitzpe Dani	1996-2001	9/11/2015	In process
28	Adi Ad	1999	1/10/2015	In process
29	Kida	2003	1/10/215	In process
30	Aish Kodeash	2000	1/10/2015	In process
31	Ahiya	1997	1/10/2015	In process
32	Amona	1996-2001	7/5/2016	In process

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Significant Israeli Settlement  Plans Since January 2016 :-

• 224 housing units in the Israeli settlement of Ramat Shlomo

On the 12th of May 2016, the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, approved a new expansion Plan for the Israeli settlement of Ramat Shlomo, at the northern part of Jerusalem city.

According to the proposed plan, the Israeli Authorities will construct about 224 housing units in the Israeli settlement of Ramat Shlomo, north of Jerusalem city, where these new housing units came within the Israeli Master Plan No. TPS 11085 to construct 1531 housing units in the settlement.

• 279 housing units in East Talpiot

On the 26th of May 2016, the so-called “Israel Land Authority” published on its website a new tender to construct 279 housing units in East Talpiot settlement, south of Jerusalem city.

The new tender No. 100/2016/ים; came to implement the project called “Allenby Apartment for Rent " – a residential complex for rent for 20 years (Allenby complex)”, aims to construct a three building, each one consist of 6 floors, where in total 279 housing units will be constructed, at the northwestern part of East Talpiot settlement, south of Jerusalem city.

• 301 housing units in 7 illegal Israeli settlements

On the 14th of April 2016, the Israeli daily newspaper  revealed that the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, approved the a new plans for 301 housing units in 7 illegal Israeli settlements in the Occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem. According to the newspaper report, the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Defense Minister “Moshe Ya'alon” gave their okay to move forward with the construction of hundreds of housing units in several West Bank settlements. ( Nekodim- Bitar ‘Elit – Bracha- Giv’at Ze’ev –Revava- Tekoa – Modin Illit).

http://www.old.poica.org/details.php?Article=9265

• New Hotel in in the Israeli Settlement of East Talpiot.

On the 3rd of April 2016, the Israel Land Authority published on its website a tender to construct a hotel in the illegal Israeli Settlement of East Talpiot, which is located at the southern part of Jerusalem city.

The Tender No. S/49/2016, aims to construct a new hotel in the “Armon Hanatziv” neighborhood in the Israeli settlement of East Talpiot.

According to the tender. (S/49/2016 – rent land reserved for hotels), Israel Land Authority called to sign a development contract for three years, and then to sign a rent contract for 49 years with an option to extend it for another 49 years.

Furthermore, the aforementioned tender to construct the hotel is a part of a proposed Israeli plan  holding No. 4711, to construct 6 hotels with 1330  rooms and a resort in addition to road network and open areas, in the aforementioned neighborhood, on area reach to 73.671 dunums of land. More than that , the plan (No. 4711) including also, the construction of conference rooms in these hotels and meeting rooms, where several kinds of the organizations can hold their meetings and conferences in this proposed new hotels.

Legal & International Status

By creating what they believe to be 'irreversible facts on the ground', it is clear   that through its use of settlements and outposts ,Israel intends to put an end any prospect of a viable Palestinian state. These hardly seem the actions of a willing “partner for peace”.

Israel is moving steadily toward fortifying its colonial and expansionist enterprise in all parts the oPt. The Israeli claims for “planning freeze” in the settlements, collides with the significant plans, tenders, construction that take place on the ground on a systematic manner.

The construction and expansion of the Israeli settlement in all parts of the occupied Palestinian territory including East Jerusalem are illegal and constitute a grave breach of the International law rules and conventions:-

 The existence of the Israeli settlements and outposts 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 occupied since 1967, including Jerusalem.”

 

• Furthermore the Fourth Geneva Convention also states in Article 49 that “The occupying power shall not deport or transfer parts of its own population into the territories it occupies.” and Article 174 of the same convention “prohibits the 'extensive destruction and appropriation of property not justified by military necessity and carried out unlawfully and wantonly.”

 

• In May 2001, the head of the International Red Cross delegation to Israel and the Occupied Territories said that settlements are "equal in principle to war crimes". (Note: "The transfer, the installation of population of the occupying power into the occupied territories is considered as an illegal move and qualified as a 'grave breach.' It's a grave breach, formally speaking, but grave breaches are equal in principle to war crimes", Rene Kosirnik, head of the ICRC delegation to Israel and the OPT, press conference 17 May 2001).

 

• Article XXXI of the 1995 Oslo agreement Israelis forbidden from building or planning to any project or settlements or any colonial expansion or any plan that lead to change the status of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The article provides “Neither side shall initiate or take  any step that will change the status of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip pending the outcome of the permanent status negotiations”.

 

Prepared By  
The Applied Research Institute – Jerusalem
ARIJ