المكتب الوطني للدفاع عن الارض ومقاومة الاستيطان منظمة التحرير الفلسطينية
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By: Madeeha Al-A’raj
The National Bureau for defending land and resisting settlements ( nbprs ) stated in its latest weekly report , that Israeli occupation Settlement was not listed on the US President Joe Biden’s agenda during his talks and meetings with Israeli leaders, a negative indication of the US administration’s position on this file and on the two-state solution. Actally, the current administration follows the footsteps of the Trump’s administration, but by soft means. This administration distanced itself from describing the settlements as illegal or in violation of international law. Regarding the visit, the policy of the occupation government was overshadowed by deception maneuvers that are an extension of the Israeli deception maneuvers that do not stop when it comes to settlement activity, which it is carrying out in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem. This is what we have been witnessing at various political stations, especially when it comes to the relations of the occupying power with the United States of America.
This can be confirmed as was the case during Biden’s visit to the region in 2010 and 2016 while he was Vice President of the United States, when the Netanyahu’s government dealt blows to the American administration by announcing bids to build thousands of settlement units in the West Bank, especially in Jerusalem. Knowing that in all his visits to Israel as Vice-President, Biden was received by promoting decisions on new settlement bids.
At the same time, Minister of Jerusalem Affairs, Construction and Settlement in the Israeli government, Ze’ev Elkin, announced that Israel will continue to change the reality in East Jerusalem and consolidate its annexation according to the government’s plan for the year 2018 and close what he called the gaps and differences between it and West Jerusalem. His ministry, in partnership with the occupation municipality, announced the establishment of two centers at a total cost of NIS 50,000,000 in Isawiya and Beit Hanina, and the completion of penetrating the first tunnel under the French Hill settlement to connect the Jordan Valley and Ma’ale Adumim settlements with occupied Jerusalem, and from there to Tel Aviv via the bypass road 443 within the “Greater Jerusalem” plan, which includes the annexation of the eastern Jerusalem flank or the eastern gate, which is 67,000 dunums, extending from the settlement of Kidar southeast of Abu Dis to the village of Michmas, northeast of Jerusalem, which will be completed by the middle of the year 2024.
In addition, the occupation authorities have approved a set of settlement plans to expand construction in a number of settlements established in the occupied West Bank. Settlement projects target settlements in the governorates of Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Hebron, Ramallah, Al-Bireh, Jenin and Salfit. Seven out of nine settlements targeted by these schemes are located in the area known as the “Western Segregation Zone.”
The most prominent of these plans is the “Beitar Illit” settlement, which targeted 303 dunums of lands from the towns of Nahalin and Husan in Bethlehem to build 1,061 new settlement units, as well as the settlement plan targeting the “Mevo Horon” settlement. In Ramallah, 258 dunums of the neighboring Palestinian lands belonging to the villages of Beit Nuba and Beit Laqiya, to build an additional 210 settlement units in the northeastern side of it. “Givat Hadagan” and “Givat Hatmar”, where the two outposts were supported by further expansion with 223 settlement units at the expense of the neighboring Palestinian lands belonging to each of the towns of Al-Khader and Artas. Besides, a plan to establish a service development center in the area between the settlements of Shaked, Hananit and Tel Menashe, and a scheme in Kiryat Arba settlement in the heart of Hebron to establish 30 settlement units on an area of 9 dunums of Palestinian land.
List of Israeli Assaults over the Last Week Documented by the National Bureau:
Jerusalem:
- Demolishing a house under construction in the Jabal Mukaber town under the pretext of not having a permit, and an agricultural nursery in Al-Isawiya under the same pretext.
- Razing land belonging to Louay Al-Kiswani in the village of Al-Nabi Samuel, northwest of occupied Jerusalem.
Hebron:
- Demolishing a house in the Um Qasas community, in Masafer Yatta, and a house under construction in the village of Khashem al-Daraj, notifying to stop work on his house in the “Al-Khuraa” area in the Badia, and the demolition of a water well and the floor of a house under construction in the village of Al Buwaib, east of Yatta, south of Hebron.
- Attacking Palestinian properties in the Tel Rumeida Neighborhood in the old city of Hebron, targeting the ancient “Ein al-Jadida” water spring, which is considered an important historical place.
Ramallah:
- Bulldozing 6 dunums of Palestinian lands in the town of Ni’lin, west of Ramallah.
- Chopping 450 olive trees and fruits in the Turmusaya Plain, north of Ramallah in the “Se’a” area, where 200 olive trees belonging to Talal Jbara, and 250 olive trees, figs, tamarisk and pears were cut down for farmer Muhammad Al-Sweiki, and they destroyed water tanks, and damaged irrigation lines in the area.
Nablus:
- Preventing Sebastia Municipality’s workers from cleaning the archaeological area, and the contents of a water spring in Duma village, south of Nablus, were destroyed.
Tulkarm:
- Attacking the elderly Mustafa Hussein Muhammad Fiqha 70, while on his land between his town of Kafr al-Labad and the village of Shufa, east of Tulkarm. He sustained fractures and bruises all over his body, and then admitted to hospital.
Jenin:
- Notifying to demolish the house of the prisoner, Asaad Yousef Al-Rifai, from the village of Rummana, west of Jenin.
Salfeet:
- Seizing a bulldozer belonging to Najeh Suleiman Judeh in the Al-Qulaya area, east of Deir Ballot.
Jordan Valley:
- Notifying 6 families to stop building in their facilities in Khirbet Humsa al-Tahta in the northern Jordan Valley, where the notifications included about 30 facilities
- Expelling several families from their homes in Khirbet Humsa al-Fouqa for military training in the area, and notified to halt construction in a house under construction in the village of Atouf, south of Tubas.
- Seizing an agricultural tractor, a water tank, and equipment for a sheep barn in the village of Al-Auja, north of Jericho.
- Raiding al-Bastat area located along the main street, near the villages of Bardala and Kardala, in the northern Jordan Valley, and seized all their vegetables and fruits.
