Land Grab
Israel’s Settlement Policy in the West Bank
Today, B’Tselem released a new report, Land Grab: Israel’s Settlement
Policy in the West Bank, together with a map detailing the built-up areas
and land reserved for future development of settlements in the West Bank.
International humanitarian law prohibits an occupying power from
transferring citizens from its own territory to the occupied territory. An
occupying power is also prohibited from undertaking permanent changes in
the occupied area, unless they are undertaken for the benefit of the local
population or are for urgent military needs. Israel’s settlement policy
violates these regulations.
B’Tselem’s report was published following extensive research and despite
difficulties in obtaining information from the Civil Administration. The
report makes available to the public for the first time comprehensive
information regarding the extent of human rights violations resulting from
the establishment of settlements in the West Bank.
The research reveals that while the built-up areas of the settlements
constitute only 1.7% of the land in the West Bank, the municipal boundaries
are over three times as large: 6.8%. Regional councils constitute an
additional 35.1%. Thus, a total of 41.9% of the area in the West Bank is
controlled by the settlements.
The report presents the various mechanisms by which Israel’s governments
have taken control of land and have encouraged Israeli citizens to move to
settlements. These techniques include the de facto annexation of the
settlements to Israel, the planning system which invests significant
resources to expand the settlements, and the granting of numerous economic
incentives intended to raise the standard of living in the settlements.
For example, in the year 2000, Jewish local councils in the West Bank
received grants from the government averaging sixty-five percent more those
received by their counterparts inside Israel. Settlement regional councils
received grants averaging 165% more than their counterparts in Israel.
Given that the settlements are illegal, and in light of the myriad human
rights violations that they cause, B’Tselem calls on the Israeli government
to work to dismantle all of the settlements. “From a human rights
perspective, there is no other conclusion that can be reached,” said
Yehezkel Lein, author of the report, at today’s press conference.
Until the process of evacuation is undertaken, B’Tselem calls on the
Israeli government to take a number of interim steps to minimize the
violation of human rights and international law. Among other steps, the
Israeli government should:
* Halt all new construction in the settlements;
* Halt the planning and construction of new by-pass roads;
* Return to Palestinian communities all the non-built-up areas attached to
settlements and regional councils;
* Halt the policy of providing incentives to encourage Israeli citizens to
move to the settlements, and allocate resources instead to encourage
settlers to relocate to within the borders of the State of Israel.
The summary, full version of this report, and accompanying map of the West
Bank can be downloaded from B’Tselem’s website: www.btselem.org
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B'Tselem: The Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied
Territories is the leading Israeli organization monitoring, documenting and
advocating to improve human rights in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Founded in 1989, B'Tselem publishes reports, engages in advocacy and serves
as a resource center.
8 HaTa'asiya St. (4th Floor),
Talpiot, Jerusalem 93420, Israel
Telephone: 02-6735599, Fax: 02-6749111
listserve@btselem.org
http://www.btselem.org
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