The Israeli colonizing activities in the West Bank and Gaza has always been an impediment to achieving legitimate peace between the Palestinians and the Israelis. The Israeli settlements illegal status as the international law and the Forth Geneva Convention of 1949 concedes did not hinder the State of Israel to invest substantially to develop the settlements in the West Bank (including Jerusalem) over the past 37 years of occupation.
In 2004 (to date), Israel has designated some NIS 734 million ($170 US) for Israeli settlements benefit in the West Bank including the under construction ''Segregation Wall''. The Israeli illegal settlements activities in the West Bank have reassigned money slashed from different Israeli ministries budgets for settlements development in the West Bank and Gaza. The following table illustrates the disbursements for the colonization related activities for the first quarter of the year.
| Spending on Israeli Settlements in the first 10 weeksof 2004 | |
| Item | Million NIS |
|
New Bypass road to link Alfeh Menshe and Karni Shamron Settlements with Israel) |
90 |
| New housing units in West Bank settlements | 55 |
| Security purposes for settlements in East Jerusalem | 29 |
| Taxes incentives for West Bank Settlers | 20 |
|
Settlements development in Jordan Valley and Dead sea areas |
60 |
| Segregation Wall construction as of 2004 | 480 |
| Total in millions | 734 |
The plan of the new bypass road planned to link the two Israeli settlements Alfeh Menshe & Karni Shamron to Israel was just a proposal until the Israeli Defense Minister Sha'oul Mofaz approved it.
The Knesset Finance Committee approved the allocation of NIS 55 million from the Housing Ministry set originally for low-income individuals and homeless people to construct thousands of new units in Israeli settlements in the West Bank including East Jerusalem (Giv'at Zeev, Neve Yaacov, Giv'at Binyamin, Pisgat Zeev, Rikhitz Shufat, Ma'aleh Hazatiem ''new Israeli neighborhood in the Palestinian village Ras Al-Amod'', Ma'aleh Adumim, Bitar Elite & Har Homa). See Map 1
Security for settlers residing in East Jerusalem will cost some NIS 29 million (expected to double by the end of 2004) including the deserted residence of PM Ariel Sharon located in the Old City ''NIS 4 million''. The PM also decided to allocate some NIS 20 million for Israeli settlers in the West Bank as tax incentives. The Israeli Agricultural Minister ''Israel Katz'' has a preliminary approval to a development project in the Jordan Valley and the Dead Sea areas. The project, which has an initial budget of NIS 120 million allocated for 2004 & 2005 aims to increase Israeli settlers' population and agricultural projects. The Segregation Wall Israel is constructing inside the West Bank is part of the grand Israeli scheme to control the West Bank and its natural resources.
The Israeli government in- progress plan of segregation in the West Bank has 32 Km (according to Israeli military orders issued late December 2003) of the Wall either completed or under construction as of 2004 in Palestinian villages located northwest of Jerusalem district (Al-Khas, Al-Numan, Beit Souriek, Beit Annan, Beit Eksa, Betunia, Beit Uor Al-Foqa, Al-Tireh & Sur Baher). This section of the Segregation Wall comes to compliment the overall Israeli scheme ''Jerusalem Envelope'' which aims to isolate Palestinian communities from Jerusalem and embrace Israeli settlements. Israeli sources at the Finance Ministry concluded that the price tag of a single Kilometer of the segregation wall has matured to $3 million US. See Map 2
The preceding measures executed by the Israeli government stands in total violation of the international law and the signed peace accords with the Palestinian Authority in addition to being incompliant with the US Roadmap which calls to freeze all Israeli settlement activities in the West Bank and Gaza.
The United States has responded to the Israeli apathy of the international law and the Roadmap by deducting $298.5 US millions out of $10 Billion US (less than 3%) in loans security provided by the US government to Israel. US annual financial aid to Israel stands on the record to approximately $4 US billions (military & economy).
Israel in 2004 is still the same as it was 15 years ago, its terminology contradicts its deeds; while it claim itself in pursuit of peace with Palestinians, it increases settlements support in an attempt to force facts on the ground prior to a final negotiation agreement with the Palestinians or unilateral separation.
Prepared by:
The Applied Research Institute – Jerusalem
