المكتب الوطني للدفاع عن الارض ومقاومة الاستيطان منظمة التحرير الفلسطينية
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By: Madeeha Araj:
The National Bureau condemned Israeli PM Netanyahu’s remarks in Australia, in which he opposes the establishment of a viable-independent Palestinian State in blatant and clear defiance of the international community, adding, we would only give them no more than a self-rule otherwise they might threaten our State. Thus, Netanyahu’s remarks have precluded any possibility for the establishment of a Palestinian state, and defying the UN resolution 181 of 1947 and resolution No. 19/67 of 2012 .
The National Bureau said, the Israeli government continues to destroy the two-state solution through a series of settlement projects, which take a variety of forms in Jerusalem Governorate and other West Bank Governorates. The Judaizing of Jerusalem’s projects is carries out at a high pace, in which the Israeli Occupation Government and the Occupation Municipality in Jerusalem as well as multiple settlement organizations. Within the projects of juadizing occupied Jerusalem, a project was recently disclosed, where the so-called District Committee for Planning and Building in Jerusalem proposed a plan to set up “tourism project” on the slopes of the Mount of Olives. The plan includes the establishment of a new park in the foothills of the Mount of Olives, thus depriving Jerusalemites from using the land. The new project linking the Mount of Olives and the Hebrew University . The Park settlement will be erected on 17 sites overlooking the Old City of Jerusalem, besides roads, cafes, information center and shops as well as public toilets with a budget of about 25 million shekels. Thus, changing the city’s historical, Islamic and Arab character in accordance to the occupation’s vision .
Within the context, the Israeli government allocated NIS 7,000,000 to strengthen the projects that Israeli occupation municipality in Jerusalem intends to carry out in the city, following an agreement reached between the committee set up by Netanyahu and other committee formed from some ministries and the municipality so as to strengthen the Jewish presence in the city and support the projects implemented recently by the municipality. Moreover, Zeev Elkin, Minister of Jerusalem Affairs at the Israeli government said, those projects aim to ensure that Jerusalem will remain as a capital of Israel.
Within the context, a financial report also confirmed that the Occupation State has transferred millions of shekels to settlement outposts in order to develop their infrastructures. Moreover the Regional Settlement Council (Benjamin) in the Ramallah area has transferred NIS 11,000,000 Of its budget to the ransom outposts during the years 2008 – 2014. The funds were used in the infrastructures of 5 outposts named Mitzpe Danny, Harcha, Givat Harel, Kida and Kerem Rieim. Also NIS 5,000,000 has been transferred for purifying sewage water resulted from Ofra settlement, funds also was transferred Shvut Rachel settlement. The National Bureau indicated in a report issued recently about the Israel’s banking system’s of leaking funds to settlement companies, where the Tvahot Israeli Bank granted loans from the state treasury to the Amana Co. ‘ settlement in return for mortgaging lands not belonging to it. Thus, the funds were used to build in the two random outposts of Amona and Migron.
Within the continued Israeli government’s policy to expand settlements, Israel confiscated recently more Palestinian lands through annexing 250 donums from Sur Baher town near Jerusalem, where the occupation municipality and in cooperation with the Housing Ministry are preparing to begin construction of a new settlement named Mordot Arnona includes more than 2000 new housing units. Besides, bulldozing 12,000 donums of a natural reserve at Wade Cana near Deir-stia town, to expand the Yakir settlement through adding 200 new housing units . Reports showed that the occupation not only deepens its control over the occupied West Bank through building settlement, but uses other methods far from the limelight and the international condemnation under the slogan ‘building industrial zones, where the occupation transfers large areas to industrial areas despite the fact that these spaces are mostly unused.
Within the context, the occupation authorities began to establish 12-km long and a depth of 30 meters tunnels to link the settlements in West Bank with the occupied 1948 lands. The objective behind the tunnels is to develop the transportation network including roads and new railway with a cost of about US $ 5 billion, including transportation plans, strengthening infrastructure and building new housing units in the Beit Shemesh, Tzur and Hadassah in Jerusalem territories.
The following Violations were documented by the National Bureau over the last week:
Jerusalem: The occupation announced that the Al-Khan Al-Ahmar in Jerusalem as a closed military zone, and distributed notifications to demolish 41 houses, a mosque in addition to a school that serves a number of Bedouins under the pretext of being built without licenses. The Israeli occupation municipality in Jerusalem forced Qaraeen family to demolition their house in Silwan town south of Al-Aqsa mosque, under the same pretext, otherwise, it will be fined by NIS 80,000. Israeli bulldozers also demolished the houses of the Abu Rmooz family in the Beit Hanina neighborhood under the pretext of being built without a license.
Israeli occupation municipality in occupied Jerusalem confiscated land belonging to inheritors of Sheikh Abdel Moati Al-Ansari at the Mount Olives to set up a park within the so-called “biblical” gardens. Thus, the municipality announced to establish a park under the name “Aosea” on a 6-donum area under the scheme (a.m0.9) that was approved in 1976, which prevents the construction is it, and thus, making the Gethsemane area as a green land i.e. no building allowed, the project includes the establishment of shops, parks, paths for pedestrians, with a cost of US $ 500,000,000, the scheme also includes a cable-car from the Lions Gate to the Mount olives, and a amusement and tunnels that symbolize Talmudic Games Garden.
Hebron: The Israeli occupation forces warned to demolish scores facilitiesi.e. houses, wells and schools south of Yatta city, they raided the area and filmed the existing facilities. Moreover, they filmed a school in the Al-Fkheit village, and put notices on the stones at those sites that belonging to the families of Moh’d and Abu Sabha, Al-Hamamdh and Abu Aaram. The Israeli occupation forces demolished a water well east of Yatta. The National Bureau following-ups showed that Israeli army bulldozer and an officer of the civil Israeli administration raided large areas east of Yatta town and began the demolition of water wells.
Bethlehem: The occupation bulldozers demolished agricultural land, and uprooted olive trees and almond at Al-Alhadir town south of Bethlehem city in order to open a road around Htmar settlement
Moreover, scores of right-wing settlers from Beitar-Illit and Gush Etzion settlements organized a demonstration opposite the main entrance to the Hussan village west of Bethlehem, where they chanted anti-Arab and death to Arab slogans.
Nablus: Israeli occupation forces evacuated the Khirbet Tana, east of Beit Furik town, Nablus of its inhabitants under the pretext of military exercises. where more than 30 families have been evacuated. Moreover, Israeli occupation authorities confiscated hundreds of donums in the Jaloud town southeast of Nablus.
For its part, the Jaloud village council has reported the expansion and construction of new settlement units in the Ehia and Esch Koudec outposts, where hundreds of extremist settlers guarded by occupation soldiers invaded the Nablus city to perform their religious rites at Joseph’s tomb near Balata Refugee Camp.
Salfit: The Supreme Council for Planning and Building at the Israeli Civil Administration put forward a new settlement scheme to create an educational technology college in Elkana settlement built on the Mesha village’s land. Israeli authorities claim that it is a State land. Moreover, Israeli occupation bulldozers demolished 12,000 donums of the Derestia village to be added to Yakir settlement, and they are building nearly 200 new housing units.
Tulkarm: The occupation authorities handed over orders to some Palestinian farmers in the Tulkarm Governorate to stop work on their land under the pretext of being very close to the Avni Hefetz settlement built on village land.
Jordan Valley: More than 150 settlers stormed Um Kabish area east of the Jordan Valley near Tamon town intending to annex it and to establish a new outpost there. Moreover, the Israeli occupation bulldozers destroyed a drinking-water line between the Attof village and Al-Hadedeia area to the north of the Jordan Valley for the second time since the beginning of this year, knowing that the destruction of those lines means depriving about 47 families in the area of water, worth-mentioning that the length of the water-line is 8-km and a half, and cost EURO 12,500, which was funded by the UNICEF.
