Migron founders: Gov't okayed, funded settlement - Haaretz

Subscribe to Print Edition

Thu., February 07, 2008 Adar1 1, 5768

Israel Time: 02:08 (EST+7)

web haaretz.com

Back to Homepage

Rosner's Domain

Diplomacy

Defense

Jewish World

Opinion

National

Print Edition

Advertising

Books

Arts & Leisure

Business

Real Estate

Easy Start

Travel

Week's End

Anglo File

Migron founders: Gov't okayed, funded settlement

By Nadav Shragai

Tags: Migron, High Court of Justice

The Migron outpost, which the state promised the High Court of Justice to dismantle by August, was established with the encouragement of former prime minister Ariel Sharon and the approval of then-defense minister Benjamin Ben-Eliezer, two of Migron's founders have told Haaretz.

As the High Court hearing on Migron resumes today, members of the outpost plan to argue that it was built on land purchased in part by Jews, contrary to the state's announcement that it was private Palestinian land.

Migron, west of Ramallah, was founded in 1999, and again in 2001. Today there are 45 families living there. Talia Sasson's report on West Bank outposts states that Migron was established illegally on private Palestinian land, and without official clearance. Sasson revealed that despite this, the government found various means of budgeting nearly NIS 4 million for building Migron.

	Advertisement

In 2006, Palestinians who claim ownership of the outpost land petitioned the High Court, along with the Peace Now movement. In its much-delayed reply to the petition, the state told the court last month that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Defense Minister Ehud Barak have decided to remove the outpost by August.

The state's reply says Migron was built on Palestinian land. But the two Migron founders, Itai Harel and Shuki Sat, as well as outpost secretary Avi Teksler claim that half of Migron's lands were bought by Jews through the El Watan company, which is controlled by Migron residents.

"Most of the buildings that Peace Now is demanding the state destroy were built on lands held by the Custodian of Absentee Property," Teksler says. "But the state is placing obstacles to registering them for political reasons, not legal reasons."

Harel and Sat also maintain that Sharon knew about the outpost's establishment. Sat says that in 2002 Sharon complained to settler leaders that the outpost's trailers were not placed at the highest point on the hill, and during official discussions even said that "Migron is a clear example of an outpost that has strategic importance from a security standpoint - one that must not be removed."

Sat and Harel present documents purportedly demonstrating that in 2002 and 2003 Ben-Eliezer approved the process of planning and permits for Migron, including moving forward on buying land there, which the settlers initiated, as well as steps to include Migron in the jurisdiction of the nearby settlement Kochav Yaakov.

Harel and Sat have another document they say is the "outposts agreement" prepared by the Defense Ministry in October 2002, showing that Migron was classified "for further monitoring, groundwork and advancing planning procedures," and not as an illegal outpost. A summary of a discussion held on December 16 at the Defense Ministry states that "Ramat Migron is a territory in the process of being acquired, and has been approved by the defense minister for advancing procedures."

Harel, who owns a horse ranch for riding therapy, and Sat, the principal of a high school yeshiva, have been living at Migron for almost seven years. Their thick file containing all documents relating to the outpost's relations with the authorities contain budgetary permits transferred to Migron.

For example, the rural building administration for the Jerusalem district (a branch of the Housing and Construction Ministry) transferred more than NIS 4 million for setting up Migron's infrastructure - including water, electricity and sewage - and another NIS 800,000 for building a synagogue, daycare center and kindergarten.

The file also contains the detailed masterplan for Migron as a neighborhood of 500 housing units on 890 dunams of land. This plan was prepared and paid for by the Housing Ministry, and states that the landholder is the Custodian of Absentee Property in Judea and Samaria.

Bookmark to del.icio.us


	Get a job
	The Interior Minister tells the ultra-Orthodox to find work and enlist in the IDF.


	Trapped in Gaza
	An Irish woman and her daughter are stuck in Gaza after Egypt seals the border.

Today Online


	Gov't task force mulls international presence in Gaza Strip
	Responses: 177


	Two children lightly hurt in Qassam strike on Negev kibbutz
	Responses: 162


	Arab lecturer told to respect students' right to wear IDF uniform
	Responses: 228


	Egypt warns Hamas against provocations on Gaza border
	Responses: 71


	Ukraine college rector: 'No such thing as anti-Semitism'
	Responses: 117

More Headlines
01:07 Hamas: More suicide attacks on Israel to come


00:24 IDF soldier collapses, dies for unknown reasons at training base


21:23 Palestinian poll says Gaza border breach boosted Hamas' popularity


01:38 EU envoy warns Gaza could become the next Somalia


20:22 Red Cross urges immediate global ban on cluster bombs


14:55 Police official: Gap in W. Bank barrier is calling out to bombers


02:05 Scooter-maker Piaggio set to begin electric car sales in one month


15:42 The Jewish vote: Obama carried Massachusetts, Connecticut


12:33 Winograd panel member hints PM shouldn't quit despite damning report


21:28 Irish woman, daughter stuck in Gaza after Egypt seals border


16:01 Israel, EU sign understandings on way to global aviation deal


17:24 Dichter: Heating, air conditioning to be installed in new prisons