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Last update - 14:36 17/05/2009
Peace Now: 'Natural growth' - Israel's trick for West Bank expansion
By Akiva Eldar
Tags: West Bank, Settlements 

Figures released recently by the Central Bureau of Statistics cast doubt on government officials' claims of housing shortages for young couples living in West Bank settlements - the central argument Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu intends to present to U.S. President Barack Obama against freezing settlement construction.

Figures for 2006-07 reveal that the housing shortage in settlements stems largely from "migration" from Israel proper to communities beyond the Green Line, as well as the addition of new immigrants from abroad.

The data show that in 2007, natural growth accounted for 63 percent of settlement population growth, whereas internal migration accounted for 37 percent. The previous year, they show an addition of roughly 5,600 residents (which accounted for those who arrived minus those who had left) across West Bank settlements. For every 10 residents leaving settlements that year, 15 others arrived.
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President Shimon Peres told Obama in their meeting earlier this month that "It is unacceptable that children born in Judea and Samaria will not have a place to live. We can't put them on the roofs." Similar remarks were made to U.S. Mideast envoy George Mitchell when he headed the fact-finding commission examining the causes for the outburst of the Second Intifada. In the report he submitted to then-president George W. Bush in 2001, Mitchell rejected Jerusalem's assertion that Jewish construction in the West Bank was aimed merely at housing natural population growth.

Instead, the commission largely accepted the Palestinian claim that there is no difference between the creation of new settlements and expanding existing ones, and determined that Israel should cease all building in the settlements, even that intended for what Israeli officials described as "natural growth."

That demand was contained in the Road Map, an outgrowth of the Mitchell Report, presented to Israel in 2003. A letter sent from Dov Weisglass, then-prime minister Ariel Sharon's diplomatic adviser, to Bush that same year includes an explicit commitment to freezing settlement building, particularly in those outside the "settlement blocs" or east of the separation fence.

U.S. diplomats said their government rejected the argument that Israel must allow every young couple raised in the settlements to find suitable housing in the West Bank.

The diplomats said they had obtained a copy of a classified Defense Ministry report compiled by IDF Brig. Gen. (Res.) Baruch Spiegel attesting that unauthorized building had occurred at about 75 percent of settlements, and that significant infrastructure projects had been initiated at more than 30 of them - including roads, schools, synagogues, yeshivas and even police stations - on privately-owned Palestinian land.

At a press conference last week, the chair of the Yesha council of West Bank settlements, Danny Dayan, and council secretary Pinhas Wallerstein said every year a "quiet eviction" was taking place in the West Bank of young couples raised in settlements who were unable to find housing there. They said 1,600 young couples of the 2,100 who marry annually are forced to find accommodations outside of the communities in which they grew up. Dayan and Wallerstein called on Netanyahu to change construction policy to allow such young people to erect homes in close proximity to those of their parents.

Most legal analysts around the world, including U.S. State Department jurists, view the construction of settlements in the West Bank as a violation of international law relating to war and conquered territories. The Fourth Geneva Convention prohibits states from moving their own citizens into conquered land.

A response from Peace Now to the remarks made by the Yesha council officials, said the "bluff of natural growth is just one of the tricks the government is using to keep it from fulfilling its obligation to freeze settlement building. It is a shame that the president is perpetuating that lie."


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  • Settlement expansion seeing biggest boost since 2003
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      1.   Israel and the art of the casual lie 05:18  |  Johnboy 17/05/09
      2.   Natural Growth is Israel`s Right and based on previous Agreements 06:01  |  Baruch Gold 17/05/09
      3.   Overlooks something 06:07  |  Colin Wright 17/05/09
      4.   but then again 06:29  |  potobac 17/05/09
      5.   It`s OUR Land Either Way 06:41  |  Yishai Kohen 17/05/09
      6.   Israel believes it is still dealing with Bush the shrub 06:51  |  lydia 17/05/09
      7.   Israels main goal is both unwritten and unspoken 06:56  |  Natallie Durson 17/05/09
      8.   peace now is racist 07:17  |  Observer 17/05/09
      9.   Jews have every right in the world to reside in West Bank 08:01  |  Dr Eric 17/05/09
      10.   Arabs live in Israel as well!! 08:04  |  Lisa 17/05/09
      11.   Try this criminal behaviour anywhere in the world 08:18  |  Marilyn 17/05/09
      12.   stop at the red light JEWISH SETTLEMENT IS LEGAL 08:47  |  v hardman 17/05/09
      13.   #6 observer and total bunkum !! where does this idiot 08:50  |  v hardman 17/05/09
      14.   #2 Well, that`s a pretty neat trick, Baruch Gold 09:44  |  Johnboy 17/05/09
      15.   #6 That`s marvelous handwaving there, Observer 09:48  |  Johnboy 17/05/09
      16.   What constitutes a Settlement ???? 09:50  |  dmgold 17/05/09
      17.   #6 and #7 both try that ol` sleight-of-hand. 09:53  |  Johnboy 17/05/09
      18.   Here is where the problem lies 09:59  |  Hector Bonifacius 17/05/09
      19.   Israels "fetish" with building would be a very honourable thing.. 10:03  |  Swiss (Dino) 17/05/09
      20.   Haaretz - wrong 10:09  |  Michael 17/05/09
      21.   #11 marilyn has it right !! land has to be registered to be stole 10:26  |  vhardman 17/05/09
      22.   Lisa #10 10:34  |  michael 17/05/09
      23.   a cause for celebration 10:36  |  harzion 17/05/09
      24.   the question is how to encourage more jews to move in 10:41  |  harzion 17/05/09
      25.   potoboc "who believes anything the israeli government says" 10:52  |  harzion 17/05/09
      26.   johnboy oslo is dead and buried 10:46  |  harzion 17/05/09
      27.   johnboy to jews "stop having children" 10:47  |  harzion 17/05/09
      28.   johnboy occupied or not occupied 10:48  |  harzion 17/05/09
      29.   johnboy "israelis are not entitled to live in judea" 10:50  |  harzion 17/05/09
      30.   #17 and dopey dino doesnt know sh------- 10:58  |  v hardman 17/05/09
      31.   #9 Dr Eric. Gosh Yosh! So thousands move in every day, do they? 10:59  |  Maureen Ann 17/05/09
      32.   #10 No they don`t 11:40  |  Yael 17/05/09
      33.   Harzion and V hardman show the world what 11:47  |  r cummings 17/05/09
      34.   Palestinian solution 11:48  |  Mladen 17/05/09
      35.   Palestinian problem 11:57  |  Mladen 17/05/09
      36.   #21 Tell it to Observer, harzion 12:02  |  Johnboy 17/05/09
      37.   #22 YAWN, harzion 12:09  |  Johnboy 17/05/09
      38.   Obviously do not understand market economy 12:38  |  Ilan 17/05/09
      39.   #27 another know nothing posts pure tripe and thinks its right 13:01  |  v hardman 17/05/09
      40.   #15 Johnboy You are trying to permeate the toughest 13:08  |  Labhras 17/05/09
      41.   johnboy the arabs will keep their towns and villages 13:15  |  harzion 17/05/09
      42.   harzion/zadok/flushman/hydra et al--you need to do the hiking 13:17  |  Labhras 17/05/09
      43.   johnboy "all talk and no balls" 13:20  |  harzion 17/05/09
      44.   johnboy is sleepy"yawn" 13:24  |  harzion 17/05/09
      45.   so what ELSE is new in israel`s saga of deceit? 13:36  |  eric 17/05/09
      46.   the irish hate the jews 13:48  |  dodgy priest 17/05/09
      47.   #18, forcefull against the will of the occupied 14:02  |  fritz t. 17/05/09
      48.   #24, well, peacefull possession.... 14:05  |  fritz t. 17/05/09
      49.   Settlement activity reflects what is rotten about Zionism 14:08  |  Joe 17/05/09
      50.   When immiogration becomes natural growth 14:10  |  Jackie 17/05/09
      51.   #41 eric on the apache tribal lands in nm doesnt 14:27  |  vhardman 17/05/09
      52.   V Hardman aka Paul Harris Produce these documents 14:42  |  Labhras 17/05/09
      53.   # 42 dodgy priest 14:53  |  petra 17/05/09
      54.   marilyn 14:53  |  oz 17/05/09
      55.   does jews` inaliable right to settle the planet carry a duty to 14:56  |  meshulam tamnai 17/05/09
      56.   what is their hidden agenda? What do they see we don`t? 14:59  |  Tom Lobo Meyer 17/05/09
      57.   Natural Growth 15:14  |  Leon Blaustein 17/05/09
      58.   Jackie in Florida--the Settlements are not legal. 15:29  |  Labhras 17/05/09
      59.   "Natural growth" is a trick anyway 15:37  |  Shlomo from Tel-Aviv 17/05/09
      60.   Baruch Gold, quit being a stooge 15:41  |  Jordan Vinson 17/05/09
      61.   HypoThe hypocrites tell us a homicide bomber is a"natural growth" 15:47  |  Richard 17/05/09
      62.   #53 Petra--I did not know Harzion is Irish. 15:48  |  Labhras 17/05/09
      63.   #16 dmgold, EVERYTHING beyond Green Line 15:50  |  Jordan Vinson 17/05/09
      64.   tom lobo and i,members of dumb redfaced minority 15:58  |  khusham haarkhai 17/05/09
      65.   Stop the whining about land everybody knows will remain Israeli 16:31  |  Dr.L. Brnd 17/05/09
      66.   #52 labarse of arabia proves he is an imbecile 16:51  |  v hardman 17/05/09
      67.   #63 jordan vinson will now set out on what treaty 17:00  |  v hardman 17/05/09
      68.   Hardman aka P harris--Prove your claim. 17:11  |  Labhras 17/05/09
      69.   V hardnman akaPH you forgot the "Washington Declaratios" 17:15  |  Labhras 17/05/09
      70.   the irish and the law 17:24  |  dodgy priest 17/05/09
      71.   judea and samaria 17:27  |  dodgy priest 17/05/09
      72.   Move the Messianic Jews to Judea 17:30  |  American lady 17/05/09
      73.   Israel tricking itself into a binational state 17:31  |  newageblues 17/05/09
      74.   The reality 17:33  |  Mark Leaman 17/05/09
      75.   labarse of arabia confuses law with appeasement and continues 17:50  |  v hardman 17/05/09
      76.   do catholics really trust priests with their children 17:59  |  dodgy priest 17/05/09
      77.   dodgy-bet el already existed when abraham came 18:07  |  as did hebron 17/05/09
      78.   Victor Hardman aka Paul Harris---tell your fairy tale 18:40  |  Labhras 17/05/09
      79.   Attacking Iran is the solution. 18:51  |  Lou Medel 17/05/09
      80.   ?Peace Now? a humanitarian movement ? 19:13  |  Jean Van Daem 17/05/09
      81.   Dodgy Priest 19:26  |  PCR 17/05/09
      82.   dodgy priest70 19:31  |  Joan 17/05/09
      83.   #5, Yishai Kohen is honest: back to the days of Joshua 19:39  |  newageblues 17/05/09
      84.   Petra 20:00  |  PCR 17/05/09
      85.   Nathalie Uahhhhhh. Vive l`aliah !!!! 20:27  |  arik 17/05/09
      86.   Solution : Skyscrapers 20:30  |  David 17/05/09
      87.   pcr and catholics killings of protestants 21:10  |  dodgy priest 17/05/09
      88.   #53 petra 21:46  |  BDS 17/05/09
      89.   If Jews want to build 21:50  |  Forrest Schmidt 17/05/09
      90.   #78 labars eof arabia makes a bigger fool of himself with every 22:02  |  v hardman 17/05/09
      91.   NERVE RACKING 22:10  |  OZ 17/05/09
      92.   GONE NATURALLY 22:21  |  Rob 17/05/09
      93.   to Observer #8, badly informed 23:28  |  zeev 17/05/09
      94.   PEACE NOW, KING OF JORDAN ,GIVES UP 1/3 OF HIS KINGDOM . 23:54  |  J LASHAK-KOROGODSKY 17/05/09
      95.   to dmgold #16 23:58  |  zeev 17/05/09
      96.   # Dodgy Priest. Get your facts straight. 00:01  |  Maureen Ann 18/05/09
      97.   Arguments for allowing expansion on "natural growth" rational 00:24  |  Joe 18/05/09
      98.   To Jackie 00:26  |  Jeep 18/05/09
      99.   Hardman that same US is about to prove you wrong 00:47  |  Labhras 18/05/09
      100.   BDS #87 00:55  |  PCR 18/05/09
      101.   Petra, speaking on behalf of the Irish 01:12  |  Mike McKenna 18/05/09
      102.   Dodgy Priest, quit dodging 01:14  |  Mike McKenna 18/05/09
      103.   Arguments for allowing expansion on "natural growth" rational 01:47  |  Joe 18/05/09
      104.   Colon Fright 02:30  |  Aboriginal Hebe 18/05/09
      105.   johnboy & amigos/amigas 02:59  |  Spook 18/05/09
      106.   Lisa and the art of daft comparisons 06:45  |  sh 18/05/09
      107.   What took Peace Now so long? 07:00  |  sh 18/05/09
      108.   One Country two people 07:32  |  mark 18/05/09
      109.   45- so eric tell me .. 07:59  |  Akram Zekaria 18/05/09
      110.   51-V.Hardman to eric: "judea & samaria are as legal as Tel Aviv" 08:39  |  Akram Zekaria 18/05/09
      111.   # 51 to vhardman re: apache tribal lands in nm 09:29  |  eric 18/05/09
      112.   Mark, one country one people 09:33  |  Spook 18/05/09
      113.   # 96 sh 09:40  |  Neocon 18/05/09
      114.   #87 BDS 09:53  |  PCR 18/05/09
      115.   #92 mike mckena and the refugee irish just like arabs 10:45  |  v hardman 18/05/09
      116.   #94 True enough, Joe 10:59  |  Johnboy 18/05/09
      117.   to dmgold #16 - 2nd try 12:11  |  zeev 18/05/09
      118.   to Akram Zekaria #99 12:38  |  zeev 18/05/09
      119.   # 99 to akram...lol, re: "winner takes all" 12:42  |  eric 18/05/09
      120.   # 100 akram, your pleasantry and obvious affinity here is telling 12:43  |  eric 18/05/09
      121.   # 51 to vhardman re: apache tribal lands in nm(2nd try) 12:46  |  eric 18/05/09
      122.   #68 Labrat - you made an interesting suggestion 19:03  |  *BEN JABO 18/05/09
      123.   Don`t pay never no mind to BSnews 19:28  |  *BEN JABO 18/05/09
      124.   to Observer #8 - 3rd try 20:09  |  zeev 18/05/09
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