Israel is moving to formally take over a great deal of land in the Palestinian West Bank. This land seizure, including the Israeli settlements and the Jordan Valley, makes a contiguous Palestinians state physically impossible and thus kills any possibility of a two state solution.
H/t to Christy1947, who has been documenting many of these stories in previous diaries.
Formal conversion of Palestinian land into "state owned" Israeli land
Israel is moving to complete a plan to convert massive amounts of Palestinian land into "state owned" Israeli land. This land includes settlements and the Jordan Valley, and makes a contiguous Palestinian state impossible. The article in Haaretz should be read in its entirety. A few key clips are below:
IDF Civil Administration pushing for land takeover in West Bank
The IDF Civil Administration is taking steps to increase state-ownership of West Bank lands, an internal military document reveals. The policy enables increased construction not only around settlement blocs like Ariel, Ma'aleh Adumim and Gush Etzion, but also in strategic areas like the Jordan Valley and Dead Sea.
Until now it was not known that the administration, which is a military agency, was charged with distinguishing between the blocs Israel is demanding to annex as part of a final-status agreement and the rest of the settlements.
The inclusion of the Jordan Valley, northern Dead Sea and area surrounding Ariel in the "settlement blocs" whose takeover the administration is advancing, would prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state with territorial contiguity. In addition, the scope of land in question thwarts the possibility of exchanging areas in a peace settlement, according to the formula presented by U.S. President Barack Obama on May 19.
Cohen details the work procedures of the administration's team, dubbed "Blue Line," for demarcating state lands in the West Bank. He writes that the team's major task is to examine the state's declarations of ownership on lands mainly in the 80s and 90s. But the team, which has been working since 1999, is also examining the possibility of declaring lands with undefined ownership as state lands.
The document also says the government's decision of 1979, saying that extending West Bank settlements and building new ones would only be carried out on state-owned land, must be adhered to.
Despite the document, dozens of settlements and outposts have been built, with the authorities' knowledge and assistance, on private, Palestinian-owned lands. These include Ofra, Beit El and Eli and the outposts Amona, Givat Asaf and Migron, to name just a few.
Official information the administration gave Etkes, under the Freedom of Information Law, reveals that almost half of the Blue Line team's work has been carried out in areas Israel defines as "settlement blocs." Altogether the team has examined in 12 years' work 195,000 dunams, 92,000 of them west of the approved separation fence line, and 103,000 dunams east of it.
This action is in line with Israel’s recent seizing of Palestinian land to formally legalize the “illegal outpost” (the name given to new settlements) of Givat Hayovel, in direct violation of pledged from the Israeli government to the US government not to establish any new settlements.
Israeli Demolition of Palestinian Homes is Rising Quickly
Meanwhile, Israel is stepping up its demolitions of Palestinian homes, particularly in the so-called “Area C,” which amounts to 60% of the West Bank. The UN has documented that there have been more demolitions of Palestinian homes and other structures in the first 6 months of this year than in either of the last 2 years total.
Area C Fast Facts
- Over 60 percent of the West Bank is considered Area C, where Israel retains control over security, planning and zoning.
- An estimated 150,000 Palestinians live in Area C, including 27,500 Bedouin and other herders.
- 55% of Bedouin / herding communities are food insecure.
- More than 20% of communities in Area C have extremely limited access to health services.
- Water consumption dips to 20 litres/capita/day (l/c/d) in communities without water infrastructure, one fifth of the World Health Organisation’s recommendation.
- Communities depending on tankered water pay up to 400% more for every liter than those connected to the water network.
- 70% of Area C is off-limits to Palestinian construction; 29% is heavily restricted.
- Less than 1% of Area C has been planned for Palestinian development by the Israeli Civil Administration.
- 342 Palestinian-owned structures, including 125 residential structures and 20 rainwater collection cisterns, were demolished by the Israeli authorities in the first half of 2011.
- 656 people, including 351 children, lost their homes in the first half of 2011, almost five times more than within the same period last year. One-third of these people were displaced in June 2011 alone.
- Over 3,000 demolition orders are outstanding, including 18 targeting schools.
- The planned expansion area of the around135 Israeli settlements in Area C is 9 times larger than their built-up area. (B’Tselem). Approximately 300,000 settlers currently live in Area C.
This follows the Israel pattern of slowly clearing Palestinians out of “Area C”, which again is 60% of the West Bank. As one study documented, between 2000 and 2006 Israel issued only 95 building permits for Palestinians in Area C (about 1 per month total). However, Israel issued 6,945 building permits to settlers in that same area. Meanwhile, 1,455 Palestinian structures in Area C were destroyed in that same period, and 2,729 additional structures received demolition orders.
Israeli Settlers and Military Violence is Rising
As Israel steps up its demolition of Palestinian homes and structures, Israeli settlers are massively stepping up their attacks on Palestinians. Again as documented by the UN, the first half of this year has seen settler attacks double with 116 Palestinians injured and 4 killed, compared to 59 injured in same period last year. Among the injured in assaults only this week at three young children aged 5, 10 and 13. Additionally, the 238 documented settler attacks have destroyed vast amount of farmland, olive trees, vehicles, homes, and mosques. At least 1,450 more trees were destroyed this week by settlers and the Israeli military.
This rise in attacks parallels increased attacks on Palestinians by formal Israeli forces. Israeli troops injured 18 Palestinians in the West Bank this year. In all, 64 Palestinians have been killed and over 1,300 injured by Israeli forces and settlers this year, including over 1,000 in the West Bank. Of those injured in the West Bank, roughly 200 are children.
Combine these facts with other recent changes in Israeli law, such as increasing direct legal control in the settlements (again, h/t Christy1947) and making it illegal for Israelis and others to boycott the settlements (h/t The Troubadour).
What Should the US do?
These moves to seize control of additional West Bank land (as well as the campaign of violence and destruction supporting such moves) are in direct opposition to international law and stated US policy. They also make it impossible for Obama's stated goal of a negotiated peace along 1967 lines with mutually-agreed swaps to happen.
Hence, the US must either take a strong stand against such Israeli actions (which are effective annexations of land), or else admit that the US's stated goal of a two-state solution is permanently off the table. The best way for the US to take a stand against such Israeli de facto annexations is byrecognizing a Palestinian state within the 1967 lines and supporting the UN recognizing such a state when the Palestinians request it in September of this year. Such a move would declare that the US would not accept any unilateral Israeli annexations in the West Bank or attempts to create "facts on the ground." Without US support, the Israeli campaign of unilateral annexation will be gravely weakened and Israel will be forced to negotiation with the Palestinians. However, if the US does not take a stand and the Israeli project continues, then a two-state solution is dead.