- Violation: extending validity of master plan
- Location: Abud and Al-Lubban Al-Gharbi villages
- Date: September 20, 2016
- Perpetrators: Planning and Construction Committee- Israel Civil Administration
- Victims: owners of lands from the two villages
Details:
Al-Quds newspaper featured on September 20, 2016 an advertisement for the Planning and Construction Committee- Israel Civil Administration that extends the validity of master plan no. 12/3/201 for Beit Arye colony. The plan also includes the transformation of open areas into residential areas and road networks at the expense of lands from Abud and Al-Lubban Al-Gharbi villages.
According to the plan signed by the head of the Colonization Sub-Committee, Natalia Aburbukh, it was deposited for public objection within a 15 day deadline. The plan targets the following areas:
- Natural block no. 7: location of Al-Mafrouz
- Natural block no.4 : location of Al-Wajh Al-Shami
- Natural block no. 2: location of Ras Al-Kalb
Objectives of the plan:
- Changing open areas to residential areas types A and B
- Opening new road
- Determining rules and regulations for construction within the plan
It should be marked that the proposed plan aims at transforming vast agricultural area into areas to be used for the favor of colonization. According to the data of Geographical Information System GIS – Land Research Center, the targeted area totals 348 dunums.
Photo 1 : the advertisement featured in Al-Quds newspaper -page 19 on September 20, 2016
Photos 2-4: the map and the master plan approved for the colony
Photo 5: an aerial image of the targeted lands
It should be also marked that depositing master plans every now and then is an Israeli means to create a de facto impossible to change and to serve colonies by making them regional council of settlements, which later become big colonial cities in the heart of the West Bank.
Beit Arye:
It was established in 1981 on confiscated lands from Al Lubban and Abud villages in Ramallah Governorate. The colony is 1653 dunums in area. Most of Beit Arye colonists work outside the colony; especially in aircrafts manufacturing, given that AL-Lidd airport is only 10km away from the location.
Beit Arye was named after one of Al-Likud party founders, Arye bin Alyazer. Until 2005, the colony populated around 3400 colonists.
Photo 6: the colony of Beit Arye
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 Resolutions
UN Security Council Resolution 242 of 1967: calls for
- the Withdrawal of Israel armed forces from territories occupied in the recent conflict;
- Termination of all claims or states of belligerency and respect for and acknowledgment of the sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of every State in the area and their right to live in peace within secure and recognized boundaries free from threats or acts of force." [4]
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
