المكتب الوطني للدفاع عن الارض ومقاومة الاستيطان منظمة التحرير الفلسطينية
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By: Madeeha Al-A’raj
The e National Bureau for defending land and resisting settlements ( nbprs ) stated in its latest weekly report , that under the Deal of the Century, the Knesset approved last week in preliminary reading a draft law to recognize outposts in the West Bank, asking the relevant Israeli occupation ministries to provide electricity, roads, water, telecommunications, transportation and all necessary services to them. Knowing that the successive governments in Israel have financed these outposts either directly and/or indirectly, jointly with the settlement associations, such as, the “Hill 387” group that was established by the “Harroya Ha’ifari Association”, which receives constant funds from the Ministry of Education annually .
Human Rights’ reports issued by anti-settlement Israeli civil society organizations showed that the Israeli government has contributed to the construction of at least 14 outposts since 2011, while currently discusses the legalization of about 130 outposts in various West Bank’s Governorates including the Jordan Valley, where about 10.000 settlers are staying there, the great majority of whom call them “Youth Hills”, whose main goal is terrorizing the Palestinians, executing crimes of “paying the price”, attacking the Palestinians, destroying their agricultural crops and preventing them from accessing their lands. The law stated that the government will grant legal status and legitimize settlement outposts under a decision issued by the inner-cabinet in 2017.
Not only the government pledges to finance the establishment of settlement outposts, but the settlements councils are also funding the establishment of such outposts, and asking the occupation government to legalize them. It was noted that the Gush Etzion settlement Council handed over NIS 1.6 million in 2018 and 2019 in order to develop illegal settlement outposts, where NIS 900,000 were allocated for the development of the “Hafat Rouaih” outpost ‘the pastoral farm’. In recent years, the ‘Hafat Roumais’ has become a model for the development of settlements and random sites in the West Bank because their influence is greater than their size. According to sources of the National Bureau for Defending the Land and Resisting Settlement , the Gush Etzion settlement Council spent large sums to buy a truck, build a ‘Hafat Nahel Halts’ site, and agricultural tools.
This approach to legalize the settlement outposts coincides with the approval of one of the biggest settlement plans in the occupied Jerusalem proposed by the occupation municipality to establish 8600 new settlement units, where the occupation government seems to use the last days of Trump’s rule to create a de facto on the ground to help open a future political track in any future negotiations, the occupation municipality presented this plan to the Local Organization and Construction Committee.
The plan includes the building of a large number of housing units, modernize the industrial zone of Talbot and build a range of 30-story multi-purpose towers, including towers for administrative, technical and office functions in the green zone extending from the lands of Beit Safafa, Al-Malha, Al-Baqaa and the new industrial zone of Talbot to Al-Walajeh village. This is to remove the green line between East Jerusalem and West Jerusalem. The seriousness of the settlement plan is that it extends from 2021 to 2040 and includes the implementation of public places, such as, gardens, interior gardens, squares, streets, and market, shaded streets with bike paths, seating and rest areas as well.
List of Israeli Assaults over the Last Week Documented by the National Bureau:
Jerusalem:
- Forcing Mahmood and his brother Mohamad Al-Khalis to demolish their own homes in Silwan, under the pretext of not having a building permit.
- Bulldozing the cemetery wall adjacent to the Lions Gate, removing its archaeological stairs to implement a long-established Judaization schemes.
- Demolishing residential barns in the Za’atrah community in the Al-Zaim and Al-Eizariya towns, under the pretext of not having a building permit, and a residential barn belonging to Ra`fat Khalil Saray`ah in the Abu Al-Nawar community, east of Al-Eizariya.
Hebron:
- Attacking the Journalist Mohannad Mostafa Qafisha in the Tel Rumeida, causes bruises on his head. They also attacked citizens’ homes in the Al-Adisseh area in the Sa’ir town, insulted and threatened its residents.
- Seizing a bulldozer belonging to the citizen Jibrin Al-Adra, near the Al-Bwaib village, east of Yatta, and prevented citizens from reclaiming their lands too.
- Attacking the shepherds and prevented them from accessing their pastures, torched more than 400 olive trees in the Khilat Al-Dabaa in the Masafer Yatta south of Hebron.
- Notifying 12 citizens from the Khirbet Zanuta, east of the Dhahiriya town to remove their tents that they live in with their families.
- Bulldozing about 50 donums and demolished a water well as well as uprooted dozens of olive trees in the Soba area adjacent to the Apartheid Wall.
- Bulldozing agricultural lands in the Farsh al-Hawa area in Hebron belonging to the Abu Shkheidem and Abdeen families.
- Attacking several villages in the Masafer Yatta, and stormed a number of citizens’ homes, causing mess with their contents.
Nablus:
- Handing notices to stop work in building of three houses and two barns in the Al-Dababis area near the Qariot town under the pretext that they are located in Area C.
- Running over a Palestinian and her child in the Huwara town, south of Nablus, in the northern West Bank.
- Storming the archaeological site in Sebastia under strict Israeli protection, and closed the site as well.
- Damaging water pipelines and trees in the Luban-Sharqia village, south of Nablus, and destroying AlLuban Cottage that dated back to the Ottoman era located on an area of 300 donums, knowing that the village has been subject to frequent attack by settler, who enjoy the protection of the Israeli military.
Jenin:
- Notifying to demolish 11 commercial booth in the Anin village, west of Jenin.
- Attacking citizens’ vehicles with stones in Jenin – Nablus Street, near the Silat al-Dhahr town, south of Jenin, destroying the glasses of 4 vehicles.
Jordan Valley:
- Storming the archaeological site of Tal Al-Sultan in Jericho, and performed Talmudic prayers under strict Israeli protection.
- Seizing 2 agricultural tractors in the Zubeidat village, north of Jericho, and prevented the Um Qaba farmers from plowing their lands in the northern Jordan Valley under the pretext of being in a closed military zone.
