Construction and expansion of illegal Israeli outpost settlements in the West Bank continues, reports Peace Now

Date: 18 / 08 / 2007 Time: 17:02

Bethlehem – Ma'an –

Israeli human rights group, Peace Now, have issued a report on the expansion and construction of illegal Israeli outposts in the West Bank between January and April 2007.

The report finds that outposts throughout the territory of the West Bank have continued to be built and expanded during the first four months of 2007.

The area that contains the majority of outposts, around Ramallah, was also the site of the majority of construction and expansion activity.

The report reads "these findings are not startling, and they are an indication of an ongoing familiar reality, wherein most of the outposts’ activities are carried out in regions located deep in the West Bank, areas that are also the most problematic from a political viewpoint."

The report notes that most of the construction is conducted to the east of the separation wall.

"Secondly, the population which is carrying out the construction in the outposts is, for the most part, a relatively extremist population as regards its political positions, and which, for the most part, resides in areas located east of the fence (sic)."

As part of US President Bush's 'Road Map' for peace, Israel committed to evacuating all illegal outposts constructed since 2001. Contrary to its obligation, Peace Now finds, Israel has failed to evacuate any of the settlements erected since 2001. In fact, these outposts have continued to expand.

"Over half of the changes recorded in all of the outposts were effected (sic) in outposts established after March 2001, which the State of Israel had been committed to evacuate approx. four years ago."

The report continues, "The most glaring example of this is the outpost called Nofei Nehemia, which, during the recent months, has constructed a large athletics field."

Peace Now found that government and public bodies have supported infrastructural changes to the outpost, such as roads. However, the group was unable to determine who was responsible for financing the construction of additional buildings for the outposts.

The report states that there have been six delineating injunctions against outposts in the West Bank. A delineating injunction is the initiation of the legal process of evacuating an outpost. Only one of the injunctions has been implemented.

Peace Now quoted Talia Sasson, adv., commenting on the lack of implementation:

“The political level is double edged. Its declarations made in the Supreme Court are meaningless, since they have not been acted upon, when there has been no legal reason for the delay … this behavior sends a negative message regarding law enforcement with regard to the illegal outposts”.

In October 2006, Peace Now, along with Palestinian landowners, appealed to the Israeli Supreme Court to dismantle an Israeli outpost, built illegally on Palestinian land. Despite the court acknowledging that the outpost should never have been erected, it has been expanded since the appeal.

The report noted that journalist Uri Blau of Israeli daily, Haaretz, found that the Israeli Civil Administration charged with enforcing construction laws in area C, which constitutes 60% of the West Bank, demolished three times as many Palestinian buildings than Israeli ones between 1997 and 2006. The Israeli population of area C is four times that of the Palestinian population.

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