Subscribe to Print Edition | Fri., April 25, 2008 Nisan 20, 5768 | | Israel Time: 20:25 (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

Last update - 09:21 24/04/2008 Defense Min. yet to start court-ordered reroute of Bil'in fence By Akiva Eldar, Haaretz Correspondent Tags: Bil'in fence, court  Eight months after the High Court of Justice ordered the state to dismantle the segment of the separation fence near the Palestinian village of Bil'in within "a reasonable amount of time," the Defense Ministry has yet to do so. It has not even begun to plan an alternative route there, in accordance with the court's instruction. These steps are not included in the Defense Ministry's work plan for 2008. A spokesman for the ministry, Shlomo Dror, said Wednesday that the omission stems from budget constraints, and said he hoped that planning the alternative route would be included in the work plan for 2009 - in other words, a year and a quarter after the High Court ruling, at the very least. Advertisement In September 2007, the High Court ruled that a 1,700-meter segment of the separation fence near Bil'in must be dismantled and moved to an alternative route. The court said Israel built the segment in question on land appropriated from Palestinians, falsely citing security needs when the main objective was to enable the expansion of a nearby settlement, Modi'in Ilit (Kiryat Sefer). Furthermore, the justices ruled that the current route is topographically inferior, which endangers the security forces that patrol the area. The justices, presided over by Supreme Court President Dorit Beinisch, ruled that the current route was planned in order to include part of Modi'in Ilit's planned neighborhood of Matityahu East on the Israeli side. Therefore, the justices said the alternative route must be set without taking into account the settlement's development plans. Despite this, contractors recently began to lay the groundwork for building the eastern part of the neighborhood, on land the High Court ruled should be east of the fence. The fence route currently cuts through 260 dunams of Bil'in lands, and traps another 1,600 dunams between the fence and the Green Line. For the past few years the fence in this area has been the focus of demonstrations by Bil'in residents and left-wing activists from Israel and abroad, who protest the difficulties it creates for Palestinians. There have frequently been clashes between demonstrators and security forces, sometimes resulting in injuries on both sides. The villagers' lawyer, Michael Sfard, is threatening legal action against the defense minister and commander of the Israel Defense Forces in the West Bank for failing to act on the matter. In a letter to Deputy Attorney General Mike Blass several days ago, Sfard said he will sue them for contempt of court unless he receives an explanation for the delay in planning the alternative route by the end of this week. He demanded that the Defense Ministry present this very month a new route that meets the High Court's criteria. "It is hard to shake the impression ... that the respondents [the Israeli authorities ¬ A.E.] chose to outsmart the High Court of Justice ruling and to hold up the proceedings until the changes on the ground make its implementation impossible," Sfard wrote in reference to the delay in planning the new route and the construction work in Matityahu East. He added that Bil'in residents and farmers "continue to go through hell to reach their lands, which are supposed to be, according to the High Court ruling, on 'their' side of the fence." Israel has not altered the route of the separation fence at three other places in the West Bank where the High Court of Justice has ordered it to do so: in the Alfei Menashe region, in Tzofin (Azoun), and Hashmonaim (Na'alin). The Justice Ministry said that due to the Passover holiday, the officials involved could not be reached for comment. Related articles: Court orders state to alter West Bank separation fence route at Bil'in 2 IDF officers, 16 demonstrators hurt in Bil'in anti-fence protest 3 Palestinians, 2 border police officers hurt in Bil'in protest Bookmark to del.icio.us   JDate wins the 'Oscars' The leading Jewish dating Web site is an official honoree of the Webby Awards. 'Worse than Nazi camp' A Libyan envoy to the UN says the situation in Gaza is worse than in concentration camps.   1.   Mr. Barak, Tear Down that Wall 01:17  |  Mark of Lewiston 24/04/08   2.   That`s a shame. Gotta remove that fence asap 03:11  |  Northern 24/04/08   3.   No budgetary constraints for expanding the colonies 05:01  |  Ben Alofs 24/04/08   4.   Oh please, let`s not rush anything.... 05:14  |  Silvienne 24/04/08   5.   The court had better learn it`s place 06:02  |  Mark Lincoln 24/04/08   6.   complain 06:14  |  guy 24/04/08   7.   #3 On changing facts on the ground, Ben Alofs 06:20  |  Johnboy 24/04/08   8.   contempt of court 06:29  |  rm 24/04/08   9.   No friends in high places... 08:51  |  Esther 24/04/08   10.   and what will Mark Lincoln do when no one follows the rule of law 09:42  |  chris 24/04/08   11.   You expect the thugs of Israel to obey the law? 09:52  |  Clickfool 24/04/08   12.   Law of course doesn`t apply to Zionists 10:05  |  Chanalau, Tova 24/04/08   13.   To #11 and 12 12:30  |  Golani 24/04/08   14.   To #13 14:57  |  Johnboy 24/04/08   15.   #13, Golani... 17:31  |  Silvienne 24/04/08

Read & React Israeli envoy to UN calls Carter 'a bigot' for meeting Meshal Responses: 149 Israel: Syria may rethink retaliation in light of nuclear revelations Responses: 103 Israel snubs Hamas truce bid as ruse to recover from fighting Responses: 105 Two Israeli guards killed in West Bank shooting; third flees Responses: 68 Yossi Sarid: If it runs like apartheid and acts like apartheid... Responses: 89 Rosner's Domain Syria insists on a return to the pre-1967 lines (WTR) Poll: Will the new spy case harm U.S.-Israel ties? Notes on the new Israeli-espionage affair The real numbers of the Jewish vote in Pennsylvania More Headlines 16:58 Three people killed in Ramle shooting spree 14:35 Two Israeli guards killed in West Bank shooting; third flees 19:13 IAEA chief slams U.S. for withholding data on alleged Syrian nuclear reactor 17:58 7,000 Hamas supporters rally at Gaza north, south borders 18:02 Hackers commandeer Israel Bank site, post anti-Israel jibes 19:44 German Jewish leader backs publication of Hitler's 'Mein Kampf' 18:04 Facing widespread pressure, Nadine Gordimer may pull out of Israel writers meet 13:55 Syria accuses U.S. of aiding Israel in strike on nuke facility 13:28 'One day they told me I'm no longer Jewish' 13:23 Israel: Syria may rethink retaliation in light of nuclear revelations 15:48 IMF praises PA for 'bold reforms,' strides toward fiscal sustainability 13:23 Berlin's Holocaust memorial to host classical open-air concert Previous Editions Select Day 24 apr 23 apr 22 apr 21 apr 20 apr 18 apr 17 apr 16 apr 15 apr 14 apr 13 apr 11 apr

Special Offers Advertisement Learn Hebrew online with Israel's best teachers Sign up for a trial lesson today Pardes Institute Summer Sessions Study Jewish texts and issues in Jerusalem, Co-ed, All Levels Free the Palestinians from: Corrupt Kleptocracy, Tyrannical Theocracy, Abysmal Anarchy Fattal Hotel Chain Perfectly located hotels on best resorts of Israel. ISRAEL BONDS Build Israel Israel bonds - a multi-purpose way to celebrate Israel's 60th Eldan Rent a Car Israel's leading car rental company offers you a 20% discount on all online reservations Junkyard Junk a car - get free towing nationwide and a tax-deductible receipt

Home | TV | Print Edition | Diplomacy | Opinion | Arts & Leisure | Sports | Jewish World | Underground | Site rules |

Real Estate in Israel

Haaretz.com, the online edition of Haaretz Newspaper in Israel, offers real-time breaking news, opinions and analysis from Israel and the Middle East. Haaretz.com provides extensive and in-depth coverage of Israel, the Jewish World and the Middle East, including defense, diplomacy, the Arab-Israeli conflict, the peace process, Israeli politics, Jerusalem affairs, international relations, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, the Palestinian Authority, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, the Israeli business world and Jewish life in Israel and the Diaspora.

© Copyright  Haaretz. All rights reserved