The Israeli Outposts’ Evacuation Bubble

According to the secret agreement singed between the Israeli ministry of defense and Yesha council; the latter will evacuate 26 outposts voluntary. In return the Israeli ministry of defense will allow the settlers to expand existing settlements, an example the case of Mevo Horon outpost in Ramallah governorate.

On the night of April 14, 2008, two winches operated by the Israeli Army removed 6 caravans where 20 settlers lived in Mevo Horon Tzfon outpost near Movo Horon settlement, which sets 200 meters from the 1949 Armistice Line, also known as the Green Line. Settlers' evacuation was voluntary after a sub-agreement with the Israeli Army and the government of Israel to grant them authorization and facilitation to build new neighborhood and an industrial zone in the nearby Mevo Horon settlement and a bounce neighborhood in Barcha settlement in Nablus governorate.

Mevo Horon Settlement which intended to be expanded located 2oo meters from the Green Line on 1341 Dunums owned by Palestinians from Beit Nuba and Beit Liqya villages. It should also be indicated that the settlement exist in a “No Man’s Land,” which the Israelis have totally disregarded after their occupation of the West Bank territory in 1967 and built a settlement their as another act of defiance to the international community and the international law. See Table 1

Table 1: Palestinian Land confiscated from each village for the construction of Mevo Horon Settlement.

Source: ARIJ Data Base April 2008

Map 1: the evacuated Israeli outpost and the nearby Mevo Horon settlement

The Agreement:

The secret agreement of Mevo Horon Tzfon came as sub-agreement of a more extensive one to evacuate 26 outposts voluntary, most of them established after March 2001. According to the agreement; the Israeli army will allow the Yesha council to add new neighborhoods to existing settlements in West Bank settlements.

Phase one of the agreement is the evacuation of Mevo Horon Tzfoun , phase two evacuating 20 outposts scattered throughout the West Bank. Table 2 and Map 2 below illustrate the 20 outposts slated for evacuation, the nearby Israeli settlements and their location within the Palestinian Governorates.     

Source: ARIJ Data Base April 2008

Source: Ma'arrive newspaper, April 2008

 Map 2: Israeli outposts planned to be evacuated according to the agreement.

Under the same agreement Yesha council has arranged the evacuation of the uninhabited outpost near Ofra settlement in Ramallah governorate in March 2008. Also, Yesha council has made preparation to evacuate Burkin outpost northwest of the West Bank in Salfit governorate, right around the time to evacuate Megron outpost and transfer the settlers there to the nearby Adam (Giv’at Benyamin) settlement.

Timeline of the agreement 

• In March 2004, the former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon asked former Israeli general prosecutor Talia Sasson to organize a report on the status of established Israeli outposts in the occupied West Bank territory. The report acknowledged more than 125 outposts illegal and that they were established with the indirect support of many Israeli ministries who disregarded the Israeli judicial counselor’s decision to stop all indirect financial support to these outposts.

• In June 16, 2006, the former Israeli Defense Minister ‘Ameer Peretz declared a plan to evacuate what the Israeli state define as 'Illegal' outposts in the West Bank. However, the decision to evacuate outposts was postponed to June 27 following the Gaza incident in June 25, 2006 and the capture of an Israeli soldier by the Palestinian resistance, since then, no further deliberation took place on the ground with this regard.

• On October 6, 2006, former Israeli Defense Minister Ameer Peretz declared that the Israeli Army is preparing to evacuate 12 settlements' outposts in the occupied territory after the Jewish holidays are over. However, things did not go as the Israelis claim.

• On September 3, 2007, the Israeli newspaper Ma’arev revealed in a report that the Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak, in corporation with an internal ministerial committee, is preparing a plan to evacuate 26 Israeli outposts in the West Bank inhabited by 1200 Israeli settlers. The Israeli vice Premier Hayeem Ramon indicated that the committee requires some three months deciding, which of the 220 outposts existing in the occupied West Bank territory to dismantled. Ramon also added that the committee is seeking to strike a deal with the leaders of the Israeli settlers in the West Bank; upon which the Israeli Defense Ministry would evacuate and dismantle 26 settlements and conversely legitimize many others.

• In January 22, 2008, following the Israeli Supreme Court decision on the status of certain outposts, the Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak concluded an agreement with Israeli settlers leaders to voluntarily evacuate Migrone outpost some time during the next six months, in return the settlers of Migron will transfer to the nearby Adam (Giv’at Benyamin)settlement.

• In April 14, 2008 Yesha council voluntary evacuate Mevo Horon Tzfon outpost in compliance to the agreement framework with the Ministry of defense in return; the settlers to build new neighborhoods in the nearby settlements.

It's important to indicate that the agreement did not include the 9 new outposts founded by the settlers six months ago. The Israeli Army’s radio refuted the allegations of Israeli government that the outposts were evacuated following a field investigation, which confirmed that the new outposts still inhabited. In the same context an Israeli society called “land of Israel Faithful Movement” initiated a campaign to boast the number of outposts after the Israeli “Passover” holiday.  Table 3 below details the distribution of Israeli outposts in the West Bank.

Source: ARIJ GIS DataBase – April 2008

The new agreement between the 'Yesha' council and the Israeli Defense Ministry, is made to benefit of the Israeli settlers, it allows them to expand and build new neighborhoods in West Bank settlements, which is a clear contradiction with the announcement made by Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert months ago to stop settlements’ construction in West Bank.

Evacuate outposts is only a publicity bubble and a Disguising plan that aim to expand existing settlements at the expense of Palestinian land in the West Bank. The so-called evacuation of 26 outpost out of 220 (12%.) is a clear indication that the Israeli side is not concerned with the negotiations process and still languishing under the authority of the right-wing parties and movements that stand rigid to any peace settlement to give up any additional parts of the West Bank land to the Palestinians.

Settlements and Outpost were and still illegal under international law and one of the main obstacles to the peace process. Every Day Israel continues to violate the International Law rules and agreements signed with the Palestinian side. Ultimately, the Israeli outposts as any other Israeli activity in the occupied territory represent an explicit violation of the law regardless of how Israel attempt to classify them (Illegal or legal), eventually they all must be removed.

Dismantling the settlement’s Outposts Is a first step for Israel to show its interest in reaching a just and durable peace settlement with the Palestinians.

Prepared by 
The Applied Research Institute – Jerusalem