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Construction in the West Bank settlement of Ofra in 2004. (Archives) del.icio.us Digg It!  new Last update - 12:13 04/12/2007 Peace Now: IDF carried out only 3% of settlement demolition orders By Nadav Shragai, Haaretz Correspondent Tags: Peace Now, settlements  The Israel Defense Forces Civil Administration carried out only three percent of its own demolition orders for illegal construction in West Bank settlements over the past ten years, according to a Peace Now report published Tuesday. According to the report, from 1997-2007 the Civil Administration issued 3449 demolition orders for illegally built structures in the settlements and settlement outposts, but evacuated and demolished only 107 of them, the report stated. The report, issued at a Jerusalem press conference Tuesday, was based on statistics provided by the Civil Administration, after Peace Now petitioned the High Court of Justice on the basis of the Freedom of Information Law. Advertisement "Among the construction violators: industrial companies, cellular companies, public officials, and the IDF," the report stated, adding that the largest amount of "illegal construction was carried out in Ofra and Beit El." Over half of the cases of illegal construction -1887 files ? involve construction inside the settlements themselves, while 1554 cases involve construction in the illegal settlement outposts. According to Peace Now, the Civil Administration no longer enforces construction laws inside the settlements' official municipal boundaries, due to a 1998 directive from the IDF Central Command. Peace Now said "the significance is that the number of construction violations inside the settlements is much higher then the number provided by [Civil Administration] statistics." According to the report, "the leader in illegal construction cases is the settlement of Ofra, with 196 cases of illegal construction, followed by the settlement of Beit El with 107 cases. Bruchin heads the list of outposts with 104 cases, followed by Shvut Rachel with 98, and then Migron with 75 and Hayovel with 62 cases. The Binyamin area (near Ramallah) is the area with the largest number of illegal construction cases." A significant portion of the demolition orders were addressed to the settlement or regional council in which they were built, and at times to local and regional councils' "development companies." "This statistic is evidence of the regional councils' extensive role in illegal construction in the territories," the report said. Some of the orders are addressed to the company or private individual who built the illegal structure, including cellular phone companies such as Orange, Cellcom, and Pelephone. The IDF itself also violated construction laws, and a case was opened against the military for work conducted near Beit Omer in November 2002. According to Civil Administration records, the "case was closed." Some 72 percent of the demolition orders were issued for construction carried out east of the West Bank fence, in no small part due to the fact that 80 percent of the illegal settlement outposts are situated east of the fence. Related articles: New Year Supplement: The price of the settlements ANALYSIS: Vow to freeze settlements raises unanswered questions Peace Now says West Bank settlements are still growing Peace Now report: 21 settlements annex land from nature reserves Bookmark to del.icio.us Construction conflict Palestinians condemn Israel's plan to build new homes in disputed East Jerusalem. Nuclear freeze A new U.S. intelligence report maintains that Iran froze its nuclear program in 2003.   1.   possible discrimination? 11:22  |  realism 04/12/07   2.   So? 11:29  |  Joe Sittizen 04/12/07   3.   The role of the military in all of this 11:49  |  Yaakov Sullivan 04/12/07   4.   The APPEASE NOW crowd! 12:14  |  Ben Uziel 04/12/07   5.   Israel is a lawless country 12:28  |  Yossi 04/12/07   6.   peace when? 12:42  |  Samuel 04/12/07   7.   3% is 3% too much 12:52  |  kobi 04/12/07   8.   The IDF tail wagging the government dog 12:54  |  Ivar 04/12/07   9.   Stop "bashing" Israel...!!! 12:55  |  Swiss (Dino) 04/12/07   10.   Peace Now = Absolutely NOthing. 13:08  |  Nora 04/12/07   11.   No Jewish homes in the Jewish homeland should be destroyed 13:33  |  JD 04/12/07   12.   Does Pecae Now report on illegal Arab housing? 13:42  |  Kenny 04/12/07   13.   Typical IDF efficiency 13:48  |  Tim 04/12/07   14.   JD in jerusalem on his enemies 13:53  |  Yaakov Sullivan 04/12/07   15.   Unproffesional Thugs & Goons = IDF 14:05  |  IDF Murderer 04/12/07   16.   #15 - great tongue in cheek humor - thanks ! 14:25  |  redmike 04/12/07   17.   Will someone investigate Peace Now 14:25  |  Sam Weinstein 04/12/07   18.   Ha`aretz you filthy lieing scum 15:38  |  Jew 04/12/07   19.   does anyone care whar foreign paid agitators say ? 15:46  |  victor hardman 04/12/07   20.   evacuation 15:50  |  geroge 04/12/07   21.   3 percent too much indeed 16:07  |  trumpeldor 04/12/07   22.   DUCK!! They`re shooting again!! 16:20  |  Goldberg 04/12/07   23.   a thought.... 16:35  |  Teresa-Maria (Tess) 04/12/07   24.   #15, you don`t even know me 17:39  |  an IDF murderer 04/12/07   25.   Don`t worry guys, Iran can help demolish the remaining 97% 18:29  |  Aounist 04/12/07   26.   clear who your enemy is Sullivan 18:38  |  Israeli 04/12/07   27.   Israeli racist-terror state continues its apartheid policies 18:41  |  anti-racist 04/12/07   28.   Talk Back Rightists and Bigots keep supporting racist policies 18:42  |  anti-racist 04/12/07   29.   The West must redeem itself by forcing regime change in Israel 18:43  |  anti-racist 04/12/07   30.   Peace Now 19:16  |  Brad 04/12/07   31.   Israel is not a racist State (so long as you`re Jewish) 19:50  |  Don Camillo 04/12/07   32.   re# 31 The VATICAN is a RACIST Nation inside 20:27  |  Brad 04/12/07   33.   TO BRAD #30 20:32  |  Steve Beikirch 04/12/07   34.   #16 20:33  |  Fares 04/12/07   35.   to # 26 20:34  |  Fares 04/12/07   36.   re#30 22:39  |  Brad 04/12/07

Today Online Bush to make first official visit to Israel in January to push talks Responses: 122 Zvi Bar'el: Time has come for U.S. to pursue talks with Iran Responses: 82 Rosner: Israel certain Iran is playing tricks on U.S. intelligence Responses: 69 Uzi Benziman: Settlers must back voluntary evacuation bill Responses: 49 Amira Hass: Land grab pushing garbage dumps into PA towns Responses: 60 Rosner's Domain A ticket to heaven from Huckabee (WTR) Poll: Do you trust the new intelligence on Iran? Military option is off the table Israel Factor: the panel wants a 'Clinton' but votes Giuliani More Headlines 20:12 IDF special unit kills PA police officer in bungled W. Bank action 19:25 Livni calls for tougher sanctions on Iran's uranium enrichment 20:28 Arab states reject proposed UN eco-center for including Israel 18:48 Training methods exposed as Shin Bet opens top secret archive 17:03 Theodor Herzl's only grandson reinterred in J'lem cemetery 20:27 Qassam hits Sderot residence; IDF kills 2 Hamas gunmen 19:08 Woman, daughter indicted for paying renovator to kill daughter's husband 15:06 Leftists announce mock power cuts to protest Gaza fuel slash 15:40 IDF Chief faults top brass, not troops, for war misconduct 16:51 Court extends remand of journalist over alleged sex crimes with underage girls Previous Editions Select Day 04 dec 03 dec 02 dec 30 nov 29 nov 28 nov 27 nov 26 nov 25 nov 23 nov 22 nov 21 nov

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