13 nov 2016
The Israeli Civil Administration’s approval of three major industrial zones, out of 11 zones in the West Bank ignores the Green Line and aims at confiscating more Palestinian lands to build more Israeli settlements, according to Khalil Al-Tufkaji, a cartographer and expert on Israeli settlements.
Al-Tufkaji pointed out that these industrial border areas were established to annul the thought of the Israeli withdrawal from the Palestinian territories that were occupied in 1967.
Multiple goals
According to Al-Tufkaji, a closer look to the map would show that the Israeli industrial zone is an extension of the Israeli settlements, and only 500 meters away from the Palestinian border villages. Consequently, the establishment of the zone would prevent the Palestinian villages from growing.
He stated that there are many goals for this plan, including annexing all Palestinian border lands, turning a deaf ear to the Palestinian return to the borders of 1967, and depriving the Palestinian workers of reaching the Israeli settlements by establishing Israeli industrial projects in the West Bank.
This Israeli plan, as Al-Tufkaji pointed out, changes the nature and illegally expropriates Palestinian lands. The plan also changes the land use from agriculture to industry, and adds it to the maps of the ‘Israeli ministry of transportation’, as part of the plan of linking Tel Aviv with occupied East Jerusalem and the Old City through the Israeli road network to facilitate the movement of Israeli settlers.
Palestinian West Bank
Al-Tufkaji pointed out that the Israeli project is planned to be in the West Bank as part of the Israeli project to link border settlements with Jerusalem through the high-speed rail line, which is expected to be finished by 2017.
“This is the second and biggest Israeli industrial zone in the settlements between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. It aims at moving the Israeli industries to the occupied Palestinian lands and exploiting the low-waged Palestinian workers without having them in the Israeli settlements inside the Green Line,” he clarified.
He also stressed that the Israeli projects are connected and well-planned to achieve the Israeli Zionist project of “Greater Jerusalem”.
Al-Tufkaji concluded, “The ‘Greater Jerusalem’ project will confiscate 10% of the Palestinian West Bank and fulfill what all Israeli governments have planned for: an Israeli majority and a Palestinian minority in Jerusalem.”
Al-Tufkaji pointed out that these industrial border areas were established to annul the thought of the Israeli withdrawal from the Palestinian territories that were occupied in 1967.
Multiple goals
According to Al-Tufkaji, a closer look to the map would show that the Israeli industrial zone is an extension of the Israeli settlements, and only 500 meters away from the Palestinian border villages. Consequently, the establishment of the zone would prevent the Palestinian villages from growing.
He stated that there are many goals for this plan, including annexing all Palestinian border lands, turning a deaf ear to the Palestinian return to the borders of 1967, and depriving the Palestinian workers of reaching the Israeli settlements by establishing Israeli industrial projects in the West Bank.
This Israeli plan, as Al-Tufkaji pointed out, changes the nature and illegally expropriates Palestinian lands. The plan also changes the land use from agriculture to industry, and adds it to the maps of the ‘Israeli ministry of transportation’, as part of the plan of linking Tel Aviv with occupied East Jerusalem and the Old City through the Israeli road network to facilitate the movement of Israeli settlers.
Palestinian West Bank
Al-Tufkaji pointed out that the Israeli project is planned to be in the West Bank as part of the Israeli project to link border settlements with Jerusalem through the high-speed rail line, which is expected to be finished by 2017.
“This is the second and biggest Israeli industrial zone in the settlements between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. It aims at moving the Israeli industries to the occupied Palestinian lands and exploiting the low-waged Palestinian workers without having them in the Israeli settlements inside the Green Line,” he clarified.
He also stressed that the Israeli projects are connected and well-planned to achieve the Israeli Zionist project of “Greater Jerusalem”.
Al-Tufkaji concluded, “The ‘Greater Jerusalem’ project will confiscate 10% of the Palestinian West Bank and fulfill what all Israeli governments have planned for: an Israeli majority and a Palestinian minority in Jerusalem.”
12 nov 2016
The chairman of the Israeli Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, MK Avi Dichter (Likud), said Saturday that freezing settlement construction in occupied Jerusalem and West Bank is “a waste of time.”
Speaking during a workshop in Tel Aviv, Dichter called for resuming settlement construction especially in occupied Jerusalem.
Dichter, a former head of Israel’s Shin Bet domestic security agency, called on the Israeli government to immediately end construction freeze on settlement expansion.
Israeli settlements are Jewish communities built on Palestinian lands occupied by Israel since the 1967 Six-Day War. Such settlements currently exist in the West Bank and occupied Jerusalem.
The international community considers the settlements in the occupied territory to be illegal, and the United Nations has repeatedly upheld the view that Israel's construction of settlements constitutes a violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention.
PLO report: Israeli gov't to escalate settlement construction
The PLO National Bureau to Defend Land and Confront Settlement Construction warned in a new report issued Saturday that the Israeli right-wing government would exploit Donald Trump’s election as US President to escalate settlement construction.
The Israeli right-wing parties have overwhelmingly welcomed Trump’s victory, considering it “an excellent opportunity” to give a green light for more settlement construction, the report said.
The report pointed out that Israeli municipality in occupied Jerusalem is feverishly working to change the status quo in the occupied city through a number of new settlement projects.
Meir Turgeman, the head of the Israeli Municipality Planning and Construction Committee, had earlier declared intention to authorize the construction of 7,100 new housing units in occupied Jerusalem.
Some 3,000 units are ready for approval in Gilo, 2,600 in Givat Hamatos and 1,500 in Givat Shlomo.
The international community has vehemently opposed Israeli construction in areas Israel occupied in 1967, saying it undermines the prospects of a two-state solution.
Speaking during a workshop in Tel Aviv, Dichter called for resuming settlement construction especially in occupied Jerusalem.
Dichter, a former head of Israel’s Shin Bet domestic security agency, called on the Israeli government to immediately end construction freeze on settlement expansion.
Israeli settlements are Jewish communities built on Palestinian lands occupied by Israel since the 1967 Six-Day War. Such settlements currently exist in the West Bank and occupied Jerusalem.
The international community considers the settlements in the occupied territory to be illegal, and the United Nations has repeatedly upheld the view that Israel's construction of settlements constitutes a violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention.
PLO report: Israeli gov't to escalate settlement construction
The PLO National Bureau to Defend Land and Confront Settlement Construction warned in a new report issued Saturday that the Israeli right-wing government would exploit Donald Trump’s election as US President to escalate settlement construction.
The Israeli right-wing parties have overwhelmingly welcomed Trump’s victory, considering it “an excellent opportunity” to give a green light for more settlement construction, the report said.
The report pointed out that Israeli municipality in occupied Jerusalem is feverishly working to change the status quo in the occupied city through a number of new settlement projects.
Meir Turgeman, the head of the Israeli Municipality Planning and Construction Committee, had earlier declared intention to authorize the construction of 7,100 new housing units in occupied Jerusalem.
Some 3,000 units are ready for approval in Gilo, 2,600 in Givat Hamatos and 1,500 in Givat Shlomo.
The international community has vehemently opposed Israeli construction in areas Israel occupied in 1967, saying it undermines the prospects of a two-state solution.
11 nov 2016
Top Israel affairs advisor to President-elect Donald Trump tells Israel's Army Radio that the his boss doesn't share the long-held US stance that Israeli settlements should be condemned or they pose an 'obstacle to peace.'
A top adviser to President-elect Donald Trump says his boss doesn't think Israeli settlements should be condemned and they don't pose an "obstacle to peace."
Jason Greenblatt's comments to Israel's Army Radio Thursday would mark a stark departure from the long-time American stance that Israeli construction in areas captured in the 1967 Six Day War makes it more difficult to reach a peace agreement with the Palestinians.
Greenblatt is the chief legal officer and executive vice president at the Trump Organization. He has been tapped by Trump as his top adviser on Israel.
Israel and the US are close allies but relations were often tense between President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, mainly over Israel's policies toward the Palestinians. Netanyahu and Trump have been friends for many years and ties between the two are expected to improve.
After Trump was proclaimed the victor of the presidential elections, Netanyahu posted a Facebook video congratulating the president-elect, describing him as a "true friend" and expressed his optimism about elevating the US-Israeli relationship to "new heights." Later on Netanyahu called Trump, reiterated his belief that he was a "true friend of Israel" and assured him that the US has no greater ally than Israel.
Settler leadership happy with Trump victory
Meanwhile, Trump's victory has put a new, optimistic wind in the sails of the settlement enterprise in Israel, as right wing MKs and West Bank regional council leaders welcomed the Republican's election.
Yossi Dagan, head of the Shomron Regional Council, publicly supported Trump, and expressed his hope that a new path will be made in regards to the West Bank settlements.
"I'm sorry to say this, but the decision to build a new park in the West Bank isn't made by the head of the Regional Council nor by the Israeli government, but on the whims of the President of the United States and how he feels that day," Dagan said.
Dagan, who participated in the opening of the Trump campaign headquarters in the West Bank, and even met with Trump Advisor David Friedman, continued by saying that "we decided that we will no longer sit on the side and watch as world leaders decide our lives, but become involved instead – both for our sakes, and for the sake of our children." Dagan said.
"Trump's announcements were clearly in favor of strengthening Jewish settlement in the West Bank. We regularly host parliamentarians, congressmen, and senators, and have created extensive relationships with high ranking Republican officials," he continued
Dagan then directed his message to the Netanyahu government, saying "we have high expectations for a significant change in how the Israeli government treats Judea and Samaria following the election of a US president who is a friend to the settler movement in the West Bank. We expect an end to the construction freeze, and even more."
Mayor of Ariel Eliyahu Shaviro also welcomed Trump's victory. The mayor added that he believes that the new American president will stand by his pledge of preventing a Palestinian state, and will continue to support building within the settlements, especially in Ariel.
Meanwhile, Acting Head of the Gush Etzion Regional Council Moshe Saville said "I'm sure that a new era of bravery and connection to the land has begun."
The settlers also received support from the Bayit Yehudi party, specifically from Party Chairman Naftali Bennett. He wrote on Facebook that "Trump's victory is a rare opportunity for Israel to announce on its withdrawal from the idea of establishing (a Palestinian state) in the heart of Israeli territory, something which would constitute a direct harm to our security and in the justice of our cause. This is the President elect's view as is written in his platform, and this of course must also be what we do as well. Straight, simple, and clear. This is the end of the era of the Palestinian state."
Meanwhile, Bezalel Smotrich (Bayit Yehudi) said "something happened, the change which occurred (on Tuesday) in the US is a fait accompli. One thing must be made clear, the two state solution must be shelved immediately. The government in the US is going to change, and with that so will the terrible freeze on building which was forced on the State of Israel by the previous administration… I call on the prime minister and the entire government to stand behind the settlement of Judea and Samaria, and to announce the building of thousands of housing units today."
Science Minister Ofir Akunis told Army Radio Thursday that, "We need to think how we move forward now when the administration in Washington, the Trump administration and his advisers, are saying that there is no place for a Palestinian state."
A top adviser to President-elect Donald Trump says his boss doesn't think Israeli settlements should be condemned and they don't pose an "obstacle to peace."
Jason Greenblatt's comments to Israel's Army Radio Thursday would mark a stark departure from the long-time American stance that Israeli construction in areas captured in the 1967 Six Day War makes it more difficult to reach a peace agreement with the Palestinians.
Greenblatt is the chief legal officer and executive vice president at the Trump Organization. He has been tapped by Trump as his top adviser on Israel.
Israel and the US are close allies but relations were often tense between President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, mainly over Israel's policies toward the Palestinians. Netanyahu and Trump have been friends for many years and ties between the two are expected to improve.
After Trump was proclaimed the victor of the presidential elections, Netanyahu posted a Facebook video congratulating the president-elect, describing him as a "true friend" and expressed his optimism about elevating the US-Israeli relationship to "new heights." Later on Netanyahu called Trump, reiterated his belief that he was a "true friend of Israel" and assured him that the US has no greater ally than Israel.
Settler leadership happy with Trump victory
Meanwhile, Trump's victory has put a new, optimistic wind in the sails of the settlement enterprise in Israel, as right wing MKs and West Bank regional council leaders welcomed the Republican's election.
Yossi Dagan, head of the Shomron Regional Council, publicly supported Trump, and expressed his hope that a new path will be made in regards to the West Bank settlements.
"I'm sorry to say this, but the decision to build a new park in the West Bank isn't made by the head of the Regional Council nor by the Israeli government, but on the whims of the President of the United States and how he feels that day," Dagan said.
Dagan, who participated in the opening of the Trump campaign headquarters in the West Bank, and even met with Trump Advisor David Friedman, continued by saying that "we decided that we will no longer sit on the side and watch as world leaders decide our lives, but become involved instead – both for our sakes, and for the sake of our children." Dagan said.
"Trump's announcements were clearly in favor of strengthening Jewish settlement in the West Bank. We regularly host parliamentarians, congressmen, and senators, and have created extensive relationships with high ranking Republican officials," he continued
Dagan then directed his message to the Netanyahu government, saying "we have high expectations for a significant change in how the Israeli government treats Judea and Samaria following the election of a US president who is a friend to the settler movement in the West Bank. We expect an end to the construction freeze, and even more."
Mayor of Ariel Eliyahu Shaviro also welcomed Trump's victory. The mayor added that he believes that the new American president will stand by his pledge of preventing a Palestinian state, and will continue to support building within the settlements, especially in Ariel.
Meanwhile, Acting Head of the Gush Etzion Regional Council Moshe Saville said "I'm sure that a new era of bravery and connection to the land has begun."
The settlers also received support from the Bayit Yehudi party, specifically from Party Chairman Naftali Bennett. He wrote on Facebook that "Trump's victory is a rare opportunity for Israel to announce on its withdrawal from the idea of establishing (a Palestinian state) in the heart of Israeli territory, something which would constitute a direct harm to our security and in the justice of our cause. This is the President elect's view as is written in his platform, and this of course must also be what we do as well. Straight, simple, and clear. This is the end of the era of the Palestinian state."
Meanwhile, Bezalel Smotrich (Bayit Yehudi) said "something happened, the change which occurred (on Tuesday) in the US is a fait accompli. One thing must be made clear, the two state solution must be shelved immediately. The government in the US is going to change, and with that so will the terrible freeze on building which was forced on the State of Israel by the previous administration… I call on the prime minister and the entire government to stand behind the settlement of Judea and Samaria, and to announce the building of thousands of housing units today."
Science Minister Ofir Akunis told Army Radio Thursday that, "We need to think how we move forward now when the administration in Washington, the Trump administration and his advisers, are saying that there is no place for a Palestinian state."
Israeli municipality in occupied Jerusalem declared intention to authorize the construction of thousands of new housing units in the wake of Donald Trump’s election, Israeli media sources revealed Thursday evening.
The Israeli officials would not wait until Donald Trump will swear into office as president of the United States, the sources pointed out.
Some 7,000 housing units have been frozen due to political pressure from the government fearful of antagonizing Washington, said Meir Turgeman, the head of the Israeli Municipality Planning and Construction Committee.
Some 3,000 units are ready for approval in Gilo, 2,600 in Givat Hamatos and 1,500 in Givat Shlomo.
“We kept getting calls. The director general of the Prime Minister’s Office would always call the mayor and say don’t discuss these now, don’t authorize, it’s a sensitive time,” Turgeman told Israel Radio.
“Now that Trump [won], I hope will put Jerusalem as a priority, I hope we are heading for a fresh start,” said Turgeman. “All these plans in Givat Hamatos, Gilo, Ramat Shlomo, all these have been waiting for two years at least.”
The international community has been vehemently opposed to Israeli construction in areas Israel occupied after in 1967, saying it undermines the prospects of a two-state solution.
The Israeli officials would not wait until Donald Trump will swear into office as president of the United States, the sources pointed out.
Some 7,000 housing units have been frozen due to political pressure from the government fearful of antagonizing Washington, said Meir Turgeman, the head of the Israeli Municipality Planning and Construction Committee.
Some 3,000 units are ready for approval in Gilo, 2,600 in Givat Hamatos and 1,500 in Givat Shlomo.
“We kept getting calls. The director general of the Prime Minister’s Office would always call the mayor and say don’t discuss these now, don’t authorize, it’s a sensitive time,” Turgeman told Israel Radio.
“Now that Trump [won], I hope will put Jerusalem as a priority, I hope we are heading for a fresh start,” said Turgeman. “All these plans in Givat Hamatos, Gilo, Ramat Shlomo, all these have been waiting for two years at least.”
The international community has been vehemently opposed to Israeli construction in areas Israel occupied after in 1967, saying it undermines the prospects of a two-state solution.
8 nov 2016
The High Committee for Israeli Civil Planning and Building has approved the building of a huge shopping center to west of Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank, after deliberating for several years.
Israeli daily “Haaretz” reported, on Tuesday, that the plan was approved last month, and that the state is to build a huge shopping center near Maccabim checkpoint, west of Ramallah.
The plan, according to Al Ray Palestinian Media Agency, remained stationed between 15-20 years in the corridors of bureaucracy, and has now reached the implementation phase.
Civil Administration seeks to build two additional shopping malls in the Al-Khalil (Hebron) area.
Israeli daily “Haaretz” reported, on Tuesday, that the plan was approved last month, and that the state is to build a huge shopping center near Maccabim checkpoint, west of Ramallah.
The plan, according to Al Ray Palestinian Media Agency, remained stationed between 15-20 years in the corridors of bureaucracy, and has now reached the implementation phase.
Civil Administration seeks to build two additional shopping malls in the Al-Khalil (Hebron) area.
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