Violation: confiscating lands for the favor of Migron colony
Location: Deir Dibwan- Ramallah
Date: July 01, 2015
Perpetrators: Mateh Binyamin Regional Council
Victims: residents of the village
Details:
The commander of the Israeli occupation army in the West Bank Alon Levenski issued the military order no. (T/2/15), which includes the confiscation of 74m2 from the lands of Deir Dibwan and Burqa villages, northeast Ramallah city. The order came to serve the goal of setting up a military radar network in the heart of Migron colony, which was claimed evicted by the Israeli government. The exact location of the network was reported to be located within the natural block no.26 within the plot number 10 of Deir Dibwan village.
Photos 1-2: Migron colony
It should be marked that the latest plan was made in coordination with the Mateh Binyamin Regional Council in an attempt to take over more land and to pin down the Israeli presence in the area, which serves the interests of colonists in the first place.
The chairman of Deir Dibwan village council Mr. Ahmad Barakih told a researcher for Land Research Center the following:
“ the case is not only about confiscating 74m2 of lands but about the occupation transforming the mountain into a military base and declaring an area of 15 dunums ,that surrounds the mountain, inaccessible under the claim of security purposes”.
Photos 3-6: the military order of confiscation
Photo 7: an aerial photo showing the radar’s location
A violation of Israel Supreme Court’s decision:
The new plan violates a decision made by the Israel Supreme Court in 2007 to evict colonists from Migron colony. Noteworthy, the decision was ratified in 2008 but its implementation was stalled by the Ministry of War. The new military order of confiscation will give the expropriated lands for colonists to expand their colony on.
An integral plan:
It should be marked that such an order came in synchronization with establishment of base stations for Israeli communication companies in the periphery of Migron colony. This also comes in time with the opening of a new bypass colonial road by the colonists of Kokhav Ya'akov outpost, which is adjacent to Migron. The new road is reported to be provided with lights and infrastructure.
This shows the occupation’s intention to reinforce the colony of Migron and ignore about Israel Supreme Court’s decision of evection.
About Migron:
Migron is an outpost established on a hilltop located 7 Km east of Ramallah city in the West Bank, 2.5Km north-east of the settlement Kokhav Ya'akov.
In April 20, 1999, two young settlers set up a container on the deserted hilltop. After a period of negotiations, the two agreed to leave, in exchange for a promise from the Israeli Authorities to take measures of building a new town there. In May 2001 an antenna for Orange cellular company was placed there with a security guard; the guard connected his cabin with water and electricity, and his wife and children move in with him.
In March 3, 2002 five more families joined the guard to create the outpost. Today Migron contains 54 families of settlers with about 60 caravans. Twenty of the founding families are members of the religious school 'Har HaMor Kollel' in Jerusalem. Several public institutions and offices are operative in Migron outpost, including a Leumit Health Fund clinic, a branch of the Binyamin Council Library, three nurseries, a game center, and a synagogue
In 2006, “Peace Now” movement, together with six Palestinians, petitioned the Israeli High Court of Justice, demanding that the Israeli settlers be evicted and the land returned to the deed holders. This was the first time Palestinians have joined a petition demanding the evacuation of an outpost. Five petitioners are from the village of Burqa located northwest of Migron outpost, and one is from the village of Deir-Dibwan to its north. All six have land registry records, wills of inheritance and contracts proving ownership of the land where the outpost was established.
On August 11, 2008, the Israeli government announced that it will expand the settlement of 'Adam' to absorb dozens of settlers listed for evacuation from the hilltop outpost of Migron.
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 Security Council resolution 446, article 3 "Calls once more upon Israel, as the occupying Power, to abide scrupulously by the 1949 Fourth Geneva Convention, 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;"
- Un Security Council resolution 452, article 3"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, Strongly deplores the continuation and persistence of Israel in pursuing those policies and practices and calls upon the Government and people of Israel to rescind those measures, to dismantle the existing settlements and in particular to cease, on an urgent basis, the establishment, construction and planning of settlements in the Arab territories occupied since 1967, including Jerusalem;
Calls upon all States not to provide Israel with any assistance to be used specifically in connexion with settlements in the occupied territories;
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
