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Last update - 10:26 11/09/2008
Rights group: W. Bank settlers grab more Palestinian land
By Reuters
Tags: Palestinians, Israel 

Jewish settlers in the West Bank have taken posession of tens of thousands of acres of land, some of it privately owned by Palestinians, an Israeli human rights group said on Thursday.

A report issued by B'Tselem, a human rights organization said some settlements had appropriated land up to two and a half times greater than their own designated area either by fencing it off or by intimidation.

Asked about the B'Tselem report, the Israel Defense Forces said it had established security zones around settlements after they had been attacked repeatedly by Palestinians and dozens of Israeli civilians had been killed.
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"The use of these zones has been approved a number of times by the Supreme Court. Any building in these zones is illegal," the IDF said.

Government officials were initially not available to comment on the report but a spokesman for the settlers said the land annexation was an authorized security measure.

"It must be clear to B'Tselem that if their demands are heeded, it will be easier to murder Jews," Yesha Council spokesman Yishai Hollander said.

Palestinians say settlement building denies them land they want for a contiguous state and a U.S.-backed peace "road map" calls on Israel to halt all settlement activity in the West Bank.

In a summary of the 58-page report, B'Tselem said two main means were used to secure land.

"Settlers, and sometimes members of Israel's security forces violently attack and harass Palestinians who venture near settlements, erecting fences and other physical and electronic devices around the land, blocking Palestinian access."

B'Tselem said it could only give a rough estimate of the land in question, as in most cases there was no official sanction or documentation.

However, the report gave more specific details for 12 settlements which lie east of a barrier which Israel has built in the West Bank, a project Israel calls a security necessity and Palestinians describe as a land grab.

It described Israel's unofficial annexation of 4,558 dunams (1,126 acres) of land around the 12 settlements as part of a plan called the Special Security Area plan which has more than doubled the area under the settlers' control.

It said half this land was privately owned by Palestinians.

"The closing of lands around settlements primarily harms Palestinian farmers, who face almost impassable bureaucratic obstacles when attempting to access their lands. As a result, many are forced to stop cultivating," B'Tselem said.

It added that in many cases the Israeli authorities turn a blind eye
to "unlicenced" closure of land and that they systemically avoid enforcing the law on "criminal settlers."

About 70,000 settlers live east of the barrier made up of both high concrete wall and chain-link security fence that extends for a total of 405 km (252 miles), much of it snaking through the West Bank.

This week, Vice Premier Haim Ramon presented a compensation plan to buy out settlers who agree to leave homes located beyond the barrier, before implementing any peace deal with the Palestinians.

Israel has said it intends to continue to build in settlement blocs it wants to keep in any future peace deal.

Related articles:
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  • Rights group: Israel forcing Palestinians in West Bank back to Gaza
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      1.   There`s no documentation because it`s a lie 07:34  |  Dani 11/09/08
      2.   b`tzelem advocates jewish w. bank? 08:09  |  chuck 11/09/08
      3.   Time to abort the Settler Enterprise fiasco! 08:31  |  Ivar 11/09/08
      4.   Btselem grabs the truth, twists it and out comes 08:41  |  x-ray 11/09/08
      5.   Rightsgroup: W.Bank settlers grab more Palestinian land 09:34  |  martin list, m.d. 11/09/08
      6.   Chick, are you going to personally 09:57  |  spyguy 11/09/08
      7.   Settlers digging Israel`s peace-grave in West Bank 10:13  |  Esther 11/09/08
      8.   Crime piled on crime 10:50  |  Sylvie 11/09/08
      9.   Esther 11:41  |  x-ray 11/09/08
      10.   This is so commonplace 11:41  |  Natallie Durson 11/09/08
      11.   Esther - You must be a leftist, right? 11:50  |  Natallie Durson 11/09/08
      12.   settlers 11:53  |  nick 11/09/08
      13.   Sure the thieves are stealing Palestinian Land 11:55  |  Tzfonit 11/09/08
      14.   "palestinian Land" like "Narnian Land, Pixieland ie No Such Thing 11:58  |  Jo 11/09/08
      15.   More Lies About The Jewish Residents Of Eastern Israel 12:28  |  Baruch Gold 11/09/08
      16.   Rights groups? I don´t think so 12:34  |  JP 11/09/08
      17.   There is plenty of land within `67 borders for "settlers" 12:58  |  Aaron 11/09/08
      18.   BUILD IT All IT"S YOURS 13:24  |  Petra 11/09/08
      19.   Original Owners 13:28  |  MJ 11/09/08
      20.   Tell Yishai Hollander they`d shoot you in Texas 13:45  |  A Bethlehemite 11/09/08
      21.   What is the difference between "grab" and "steal"....???? 13:53  |  Swiss (Dino) 11/09/08
      22.   Natallie you must be an Israel basher, Yes? 13:54  |  x-ray 11/09/08
      23.   Well, Jo, it belongs to somebody 14:36  |  Murray 11/09/08
      24.   Baruch Gold....I always wonder about that issue 14:37  |  Lynn 11/09/08
      25.   Baruch and Lynn - are you serious? 14:54  |  Sylvie 11/09/08
      26.   aaron leaves egypt and sees the sinai but looks east to canaan 15:11  |  v.hardman 11/09/08
      27.   in an octapuss`s garden 15:26  |  sooth sayer 11/09/08
      28.   Jo, Nations don`t own land. People own land. 15:35  |  Tzfonit 11/09/08
      29.   Tzfonit 15:45  |  Settler Babe 11/09/08
      30.   Original owners 16:09  |  Michael 11/09/08
      31.   Baruch Gold #15 `indisputable nonsense` 16:14  |  Roo 11/09/08
      32.   Sylvie #25 16:17  |  Roo 11/09/08
      33.   Tzfonit on land ownersip, nations and people 16:18  |  peter 11/09/08
      34.   If it all belongs to Israel 16:56  |  Dave Duncan 11/09/08
      35.   Tzfonit`s moshav was build on Arab-owned land 17:00  |  Dirk 11/09/08
      36.   #34 DAVE GET AN EDUCTION AND YOU MIGHT UNDERSTAND IT 17:48  |  v.hardman 11/09/08
      37.   #24 Lynn 18:31  |  Boycott 11/09/08
      38.   martin list 18:32  |  potobac 11/09/08
      39.   Peter of Montreal - Respecting Private Property 18:46  |  Mark of Lewiston 11/09/08
      40.   #19 Original owners... MJ 19:02  |  Courcey 11/09/08
      41.   Mark of L 19:25  |  Settler Babe 11/09/08
      42.   Mark of L 19:25  |  Settler Babe 11/09/08
      43.   Legitimacy : Israel and the 22 Arab League countries. 19:34  |  Jerome Bernier 11/09/08
      44.   Grain of salt 19:49  |  Scharker Yid 11/09/08
      45.   Mark of Lewiston on propery 19:51  |  peter 11/09/08
      46.   Aided and abetted by every Israeli government since 67 19:52  |  Maki 11/09/08
      47.   Dirk out of context 19:59  |  Tzfonit 11/09/08
      48.   45 Peter of Montreal - Israeli Government Records 20:24  |  Mark of Lewiston 11/09/08
      49.   # 37 Boycott....I know for sure there was 20:30  |  Lynn 11/09/08
      50.   Tzfonit/Bracha - don`t try to justify theft 20:39  |  Phil 11/09/08
      51.   Buy all the land - and make sure the arabs move to Jordan 20:55  |  Billy the Jew 11/09/08
      52.   # 39 Mark of Lewiston...well put 21:01  |  Lynn 11/09/08
      53.   Way To Go, Settlers !!!!!!!!!! 22:18  |  Modechai 11/09/08
      54.   Natallie #11 22:22  |  Esther 11/09/08
      55.   Land acqusition - international law 22:37  |  Hershel 11/09/08
      56.   #25 and #31 The Land is Not Owned By Arabs and Never Has Been 23:00  |  Baruch Gold 11/09/08
      57.   Eastern Israel is As Much Jewish and Israel`s As Arab and Jordan 23:05  |  Baruch Gold 11/09/08
      58.   #21 dino the dope and whose land is it ?? 23:07  |  v.hardman 11/09/08
      59.   Murder? 23:10  |  W 11/09/08
      60.   Mark of L an answer to #42 please 23:16  |  Settler Babe 11/09/08
      61.   Settler Babe, talk about labelling... 23:47  |  Tzfonit 11/09/08
      62.   jo 14 23:56  |  potobac 11/09/08
      63.   Pals want it all, Israelis take it all 00:04  |  J. saves mosesinvest 12/09/08
      64.   the winner takes it all, the winner takes it all... 00:05  |  win-win not winewine 12/09/08
      65.   #37 boycott....second try 00:12  |  Lynn 12/09/08
      66.   41/42 Settler Babe - No Problem 2nd try 00:19  |  Mark of Lewiston 12/09/08
      67.   #25 Sylvie......there is nothing ludicrous about it. 00:20  |  Lynn 12/09/08
      68.   Rotten thieves.... 00:25  |  Dutch 12/09/08
      69.   45 Peter of Montreal - Homesh 00:34  |  Mark of Lewiston 12/09/08
      70.   Palestinian Land 00:54  |  Nezam el Jenini 12/09/08
      71.   #51 Hershel 00:55  |  Boycott 12/09/08
      72.   #53 Baruch Gold 01:04  |  Boycott 12/09/08
      73.   #61 Lynn 01:11  |  Boycott 12/09/08
      74.   `from what i have read` #67 01:53  |  Roo 12/09/08
      75.   Baruch Gold 02:16  |  Roo 12/09/08
      76.   `from what I have read` #67 02:32  |  Roo 12/09/08
      77.   So we`re "guilty" of grabbing our own land! 03:49  |  Chaim 12/09/08
      78.   # 73 Boycott....does International Law dictate 03:54  |  Lynn 12/09/08
      79.   #72 Boycott: Do Not Disrepect the Respected Dead 03:54  |  Baruch Gold 12/09/08
      80.   Stop the thieves NOW 04:20  |  Janice 12/09/08
      81.   tzfonit your brand of politics fits the label - take care 07:11  |  Settler Babe 12/09/08
      82.   Mark of L 07:25  |  Settler Babe 12/09/08
      83.   Settler Babe - there are tons of law, 08:53  |  spyguy 12/09/08
      84.   For "Guilty" Chaim # 74 09:08  |  Clickfool 12/09/08
      85.   Just very briefly re Babe #80 09:49  |  Esther 12/09/08
      86.   Settler Babe$$$$ 11:03  |  kibbutznik 12/09/08
      87.   State of Israel grabs more land settlers=tool 11:10  |  www.kibush.co.il 12/09/08
      88.   Settlement expansion is Israeli policy 11:23  |  Dan 12/09/08
      89.   Kibbutznik 18:22  |  Settler Babe 12/09/08
      90.   martin list 22:49  |  potobac 12/09/08
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