31 dec 2015
The Israeli government is implementing a plan to increase the Jewish majority in Jerusalem to establish the 'Greater Jerusalem', said the director of the cartography department in the Arab Studies Association and expert on Israel's settlement policies, Khalil al-Tafkaji.
In an exclusive interview with the Palestinian Information Center (PIC) al-Tafkaji stated, "The successive Israeli governments, especially Netanyahu's first and second governments, have all contributed in the E1 settlement project that aims at geographically disconnecting the north and south of the West Bank. The project eliminates the remaining space to expand 'East Jerusalem' as a capital for the (projected) state of Palestine."
Settlements expansion
Al-Tafkaji pointed out that the Israeli government is secretly working to establish a "bi-national" state away from the two-state solution. He confirmed that this does not only include the E1 project, but also the widespread expansion of settlements south and north of Jerusalem, in addition to the expansion of the industrial zone in the settlement of Ma'aleh Adumim to the Dead Sea.
Meanwhile, Peace Now organization announced recently the scheme of the Israeli Ministry of Construction and Housing, which includes building 55,548 illegal settlement units in the Palestinian territories in the West Bank and Jerusalem. The scheme consists of more than 25,000 units to the east of the Separation Wall, and 8,378 units in At-Tur and 'Anata. Furthermore, two Israeli settlements are to be built to the south of Bethlehem and the north of Jordan Valley, in addition to more than 12,000 settlement units in the Old city of Jerusalem.
Al-Tafkaji confirmed that working on the E1 settlement project has not stopped for years, as the infrastructure has already been built, in addition to a district police headquarters. The E1 zone, according to him, is connected with the settlement of Ma'aleh Adumim from the east, and the Eastern Ring Road and the French Hill from the west.
Horrendous project
Al-Tafkaji said, “The project imposes two risks. Firstly, the site of the project eliminates the Palestinian hope of having a Palestinian capital in Jerusalem, as it is the only space left for expansion in East Jerusalem. Secondly, the project constitutes a tremendous settlement area connected with East Jerusalem and Ma'aleh Adumim, separating the north and the south of the West Bank.”
No deterrent
The Palestinian and Arab response to the Israeli plan, according to al-Tafkaji, is nonexistent, especially in the light of the ongoing regional Arab split. “The project is timely, allowing Israel to carry out the whole process without even an Arab condemnation,” said al-Tafkaji.
He added that Israel is quite comfortable nowadays as the U.S. is preparing for the next elections and is busy with Russia, Syria, Iraq and ISIS. In addition, Europe is dealing with immigrants and terrorism, thus giving Israel the space to accelerate its settlement projects.
Al-Tafkaji concluded, “This is how Israel has built 217 settlements, as part of the Seven Star Plan of the former Minister of Housing, Ariel Sharon, which aimed at establishing a group of Israeli settlements inside the Palestinian territories.”
In an exclusive interview with the Palestinian Information Center (PIC) al-Tafkaji stated, "The successive Israeli governments, especially Netanyahu's first and second governments, have all contributed in the E1 settlement project that aims at geographically disconnecting the north and south of the West Bank. The project eliminates the remaining space to expand 'East Jerusalem' as a capital for the (projected) state of Palestine."
Settlements expansion
Al-Tafkaji pointed out that the Israeli government is secretly working to establish a "bi-national" state away from the two-state solution. He confirmed that this does not only include the E1 project, but also the widespread expansion of settlements south and north of Jerusalem, in addition to the expansion of the industrial zone in the settlement of Ma'aleh Adumim to the Dead Sea.
Meanwhile, Peace Now organization announced recently the scheme of the Israeli Ministry of Construction and Housing, which includes building 55,548 illegal settlement units in the Palestinian territories in the West Bank and Jerusalem. The scheme consists of more than 25,000 units to the east of the Separation Wall, and 8,378 units in At-Tur and 'Anata. Furthermore, two Israeli settlements are to be built to the south of Bethlehem and the north of Jordan Valley, in addition to more than 12,000 settlement units in the Old city of Jerusalem.
Al-Tafkaji confirmed that working on the E1 settlement project has not stopped for years, as the infrastructure has already been built, in addition to a district police headquarters. The E1 zone, according to him, is connected with the settlement of Ma'aleh Adumim from the east, and the Eastern Ring Road and the French Hill from the west.
Horrendous project
Al-Tafkaji said, “The project imposes two risks. Firstly, the site of the project eliminates the Palestinian hope of having a Palestinian capital in Jerusalem, as it is the only space left for expansion in East Jerusalem. Secondly, the project constitutes a tremendous settlement area connected with East Jerusalem and Ma'aleh Adumim, separating the north and the south of the West Bank.”
No deterrent
The Palestinian and Arab response to the Israeli plan, according to al-Tafkaji, is nonexistent, especially in the light of the ongoing regional Arab split. “The project is timely, allowing Israel to carry out the whole process without even an Arab condemnation,” said al-Tafkaji.
He added that Israel is quite comfortable nowadays as the U.S. is preparing for the next elections and is busy with Russia, Syria, Iraq and ISIS. In addition, Europe is dealing with immigrants and terrorism, thus giving Israel the space to accelerate its settlement projects.
Al-Tafkaji concluded, “This is how Israel has built 217 settlements, as part of the Seven Star Plan of the former Minister of Housing, Ariel Sharon, which aimed at establishing a group of Israeli settlements inside the Palestinian territories.”
A lawsuit has been filed in a US court seeking to stop non-profit groups from sending billions of dollars worth of tax-exempt donations to support illegal Israeli settlements and the Israeli army.
A group of American citizens filed the suit on December 21 against the US Department of Treasury, claiming about 150 non-profits have sent an estimated $280bn to Israel over the past two decades.
The lawsuit claims, according to Al Jazeera, that the donations were "pass-throughs" and "funnels" to support the Israeli army and the illegal settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories.
The lawsuit claims that certain non-profit groups (including the Falic Family Foundation, FIDF (Friends of the Israeli Defence Force), American Friends of Ariel, Gush Etzion Foundation, American Friends of Har Homa, and Hebron Fund) directly contributed, tax-exempt, to violations of US law and international law, subverted US foreign policy, and contributed to countless crimes and human rights abuses targeting Palestinians.
The Treasury Department, which has 60 days to respond to the lawsuit, declined to comment, stating in an email to Al Jazeera: "We don't comment on pending litigation."
See Israeli Media: US Donors Transferred One Billion Shekels for Settlements for more info.
A group of American citizens filed the suit on December 21 against the US Department of Treasury, claiming about 150 non-profits have sent an estimated $280bn to Israel over the past two decades.
The lawsuit claims, according to Al Jazeera, that the donations were "pass-throughs" and "funnels" to support the Israeli army and the illegal settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories.
The lawsuit claims that certain non-profit groups (including the Falic Family Foundation, FIDF (Friends of the Israeli Defence Force), American Friends of Ariel, Gush Etzion Foundation, American Friends of Har Homa, and Hebron Fund) directly contributed, tax-exempt, to violations of US law and international law, subverted US foreign policy, and contributed to countless crimes and human rights abuses targeting Palestinians.
The Treasury Department, which has 60 days to respond to the lawsuit, declined to comment, stating in an email to Al Jazeera: "We don't comment on pending litigation."
See Israeli Media: US Donors Transferred One Billion Shekels for Settlements for more info.
30 dec 2015
Documents obtained by Peace Now indicate that the Ministry of Housing (MOH) has plans to construct 53,548 residential units in illegal settlements. The plans are valued at over 330 million shackles.
3,786 units are slated for immediate construction, 64%, of which are to be east of the separation barrier.
These plans also include 8,372 units in the E-1 area, an area on Jerusalem’s periphery.
Plans for settlement construction in the E-1 area have long been halted due to international pressure. Settlement construction in the E-1 area would require the forced displacement of over 2,000 Bedouins and rule out the possibility of a geographically contiguous Palestinian state by severing the West Bank into two.
The MOH has its sights on other areas of Jerusalem too: Peace Now revealed plans for a new neighborhood in Atarot, involving the construction of 10,000 units between Beit Hanina and Ramallah. Har Homa is planned also to expand by 2,000 units. In the Old City, the MOH intends to add 21 units in the Muslim Quarter of the Old City.
In addition to expansion, the MOH is plotting the construction of two brand new settlements in the West Bank – Givat Eitam (in a-Nahla, south of Bethlehem) and Bitronot/Brosh (in the northern Jordan Valley).
The MOH also seeks to recognize at least six settlement outposts, which, as of now, are even unrecognized by the Israeli government.
These plans directly contradict Israeli officials’ statements regarding settlement construction.
In October 2013, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu canceled the MOH’s plans to construct 24,000 units in the West Bank, including the E-1 area, in response to international scrutiny.
Peace Now found that in November 2014, the MOH, without any notice, hired architects to work on many of the cancelled plans.
In response to Peace Now’s report, the Prime Minister’s Office focused on the E-1 area, saying that plans to build in E-1 were drafted as the private initiative of Minister of Agriculture Uri Ariel, “without the required authorization,” and thus have “no validity.”
According to the Palestinian News and Info Agency, the MOH has said that it “acts only according to approved plans and based on the decisions of the government and the Prime Minister.”
Peace Now’s report also shed light on the MOH’s activities in past years.
Between 2012 and 2015, Peace Now found that the MOH funded the construction of at least 4,054 housing units, 70% of which were east of the separation barrier.
One expansion projects was for the Beit Romano settlement, which sits in the heart of Hebron. Peace Now reported that the MOH gave it 1 million NIS to expand.
Moreover, the MOH gave at least 1.8 million NIS in recent years to local settlement authorities to entice Israelis to relocate to settlements.
Revelations about Israeli authorities’ intentions for settlement construction come as the Israeli government continues to confiscate Palestinian land.
On Tuesday, Israeli authorities issued a military order to confiscate 500 dunams (500,000 square meters) of Palestinian land located south of Nablus. That same day, Israeli authorities issued another military order to confiscate 370 square meters of private Palestinian land along the Hebron-Jerusalem road.
Read Peace Now’s full report on settlement construction here. [PDF]
3,786 units are slated for immediate construction, 64%, of which are to be east of the separation barrier.
These plans also include 8,372 units in the E-1 area, an area on Jerusalem’s periphery.
Plans for settlement construction in the E-1 area have long been halted due to international pressure. Settlement construction in the E-1 area would require the forced displacement of over 2,000 Bedouins and rule out the possibility of a geographically contiguous Palestinian state by severing the West Bank into two.
The MOH has its sights on other areas of Jerusalem too: Peace Now revealed plans for a new neighborhood in Atarot, involving the construction of 10,000 units between Beit Hanina and Ramallah. Har Homa is planned also to expand by 2,000 units. In the Old City, the MOH intends to add 21 units in the Muslim Quarter of the Old City.
In addition to expansion, the MOH is plotting the construction of two brand new settlements in the West Bank – Givat Eitam (in a-Nahla, south of Bethlehem) and Bitronot/Brosh (in the northern Jordan Valley).
The MOH also seeks to recognize at least six settlement outposts, which, as of now, are even unrecognized by the Israeli government.
These plans directly contradict Israeli officials’ statements regarding settlement construction.
In October 2013, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu canceled the MOH’s plans to construct 24,000 units in the West Bank, including the E-1 area, in response to international scrutiny.
Peace Now found that in November 2014, the MOH, without any notice, hired architects to work on many of the cancelled plans.
In response to Peace Now’s report, the Prime Minister’s Office focused on the E-1 area, saying that plans to build in E-1 were drafted as the private initiative of Minister of Agriculture Uri Ariel, “without the required authorization,” and thus have “no validity.”
According to the Palestinian News and Info Agency, the MOH has said that it “acts only according to approved plans and based on the decisions of the government and the Prime Minister.”
Peace Now’s report also shed light on the MOH’s activities in past years.
Between 2012 and 2015, Peace Now found that the MOH funded the construction of at least 4,054 housing units, 70% of which were east of the separation barrier.
One expansion projects was for the Beit Romano settlement, which sits in the heart of Hebron. Peace Now reported that the MOH gave it 1 million NIS to expand.
Moreover, the MOH gave at least 1.8 million NIS in recent years to local settlement authorities to entice Israelis to relocate to settlements.
Revelations about Israeli authorities’ intentions for settlement construction come as the Israeli government continues to confiscate Palestinian land.
On Tuesday, Israeli authorities issued a military order to confiscate 500 dunams (500,000 square meters) of Palestinian land located south of Nablus. That same day, Israeli authorities issued another military order to confiscate 370 square meters of private Palestinian land along the Hebron-Jerusalem road.
Read Peace Now’s full report on settlement construction here. [PDF]