Settlers: We'll prevent inspectors from enforcing construction freeze
Crackdown on settlements activity begins; group appeals move after Barak adds more W. Bank inspectors.
By Chaim Levinson Tags: Israel news settlement building IDFSettler leaders announced on Monday that they would prevent Israeli inspectors from enforcing a moratorium on new construction in West Bank settlements, Army Radio reported.
The statement by the Yesha council of settlements came after officials said inspectors armed with aerial maps and empowered to confiscate construction had begun enforcing the policy.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arranged Monday meet on the following day with the heads of West Bank regional authorities, in the wake of his decision to impose the settlement freeze. However, the premier cancelled the meeting on Monday evening, citing ill health.
He announced the 10-month moratorium last week, pitching it as an attempt to persuade Palestinians to return to U.S.-sponsored peace talks suspended since December.
The temporary moratorium does not apply to areas in the West Bank that Israel annexed after capturing the territory from Jordan in the 1967 Six Day War.
Palestinians, who seek to establish a state in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, brushed off the Israeli step as insufficient and a ruse.
Netanyahu's decision pits the government against settlers who, in many cases, have long expanded their enclaves without state approval.
"We are conducting operations throughout the West Bank. We have issued stop-work orders and begun confiscating equipment," said Lee Hiromoto, spokesman for the division in the Defense Ministry which handles West Bank administration.
"We have a good number of enforcement agents in the field, accompanied by security forces," he said.
Leaders of the some 300,000 Israelis living in the West Bank have accused Netanyahu - whose coalition government includes pro-settler parties - of capitulating to pressure from the Obama administration for a breakthrough with the Palestinians.
In Reuters TV footage that was aired in Israel on Sunday, Gershon Messika, head of the Samaria Regional Council in the northern West Bank, tore up a stop-work order delivered to him by an Israel Defense Forces major.
"This is an order to halt construction in the state of Israel. This is a racist, immoral and illegal decision which is therefore invalid," Messika said.
Asked about the incident, Hiromoto said: "There was no violence." He did not immediately offer details on where or why construction equipment had been confiscated.
Israel Radio said building inspectors had on Monday visited settlements in the Etzion and Binyamin blocs abutting Jerusalem.
The World Court has branded Israeli settlements illegal. The Palestinians, who number some 2.5 million in the West Bank, say the settlements could deny them a viable state.
Pro-settler group to Court: Stop settlement freeze
Meanwhile, the Legal Forum for the Land of Israel on Monday appealed to the High Court of Justice to put a stop to the government's plan to enforce the construction freeze.
The appeal was submitted a day after Defense Minister Ehud Barak ordered his ministry to appoint 40 new supervisors across the territories to ensure no new construction be carried out.
In the group's appeal, attorney Yossi Fuchs said that such a decision must be made By the whole government, not just the cabinet.
"A decision likely to bring serious harm to the assets of Israeli citizens and is unrelated to security cannot be made in an underhanded, covert way, by a secret security cabinet or predetermined without any chance for ministers to appeal," he wrote.
Fourteen construction supervisors are currently operating in the West Bank. Within two weeks, 40 new supervisors will be trained to begin working in the region and dozens more will be recruited down the line to enforce the construction freeze.
The Israel Police, the Border Police and the Civil Administration will all participate in the enforcement of the freeze alongside the supervisors, under the authority of the Israel Defense Forces.
Barak on Sunday called the government's move to enforce the freeze an unprecedented step that proves Israel is serious about pursuing Middle East peace.
"This step was not carried out in the Olmert government or in the Sharon government, not in my government and not in Yitzhak Rabin's government either," said Barak. "The real significance is that for the first time, we are suspending all new construction for an extended period and therefore giving peace negotiations a chance."
Settlers vowed on Sunday to defy the government enforcement. Yishai Hollander, a spokesman for the settlers council, told The Associated Press there would be festive cornerstone ceremonies for new neighborhoods in multiple settlements in the next few days.
Meanwhile, the Yediot Ahronot daily reported that a councilman in the settlement of Ariel ripped up the order in front of military officials and said he would not accept it.
But with the beefed-up inspection effort, it appears unlikely the settlers will be able to do any substantial new construction in the coming months.
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and your little smiley DOES just about sum up the court's most likely response.
It just has to reach the public and broad masses of both sides, that the Palestinians, can claim ancestry to the different Hebrew tribes that remained in the Holy land, whilst the elite of Juda Tribe were exiled by the Romans. If the Jews of Israel can accept that the Moslem and Christian Palestinians have the very same rights (without converting to Judaism) as themselves, that would be a great step forwards. The same goes for the Palestinians. Accept the evidence and make friends ! google "Tsvi Misinai" and/or "the engagement"
I have heard the Ministers of Tourism and Sport and Culture denounce the building freeze along with the Settlers councils. Where is the Kadima Party, where is their voice. Is it not true the Head of the Kadima Party won the last election by vote ? How can the Labour Party merge into the right wing pond ? This is a game -if the government does not agree with the utterances of these two Ministers then why are they still in government ! Hold back the likud,its really hurting them, this facade of a building freeze. where are the other 50% of Israel, the secular 67 border -non colonisation no greater israel, old time zionists ? HAL.
"fat chance" and "not a chance"... unless the integrity of the israeli supreme court has been lost since bibi's government took control.
The Court has a long ist of edicts to the settlers which are gathering dust on the courts shelves - or wherever the court consigns them to oblivion . David
Make it clear to settlers that if the land upon which settlers reside eventually becomes part of a Palestinian state, these settlers will become Palestinians,,,,,,,,,, Palestinian Jews who will travel on Palestinian passports and spend Palestinian currency. They`ll see Palestinian doctors in Palestinian hospitals. Palestinian police will investigate crime and Palestinian firefighters will put out their fires. They`ll pay taxes to Palestine and use Palestinian postage. Israel has Arabs. Palestine will have Jews. It`s exactly the same thing. Settlers,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, enjoy!!!
It is in the boundaries of the security cabinet and the reason for is classified as a matter of national security. It is legal and does not have to go to the full cabinet.
The power of Central Government and Laws are not mere suggestion. Nor is the military an appropriate vehicle for law enforcement. Nor does zealotry fill the shoes of laws.
that is why you write a response that is not a response. Tell us all why you think the two state solution is still a feasible option. But then you dont support a two state solution ---do you. Would ethnic cleansing be more to your line of thinking.
Nor are the power of Central Government and Laws mere suggestion. Nor is the military an appropriate vehicle for law enforcement. Nor does zealotry fill the shoes of laws - just look at Iran for the results of that.
can you honestly seing a two states solution? Abbas will refuse and reverted back under the OCCUPATION Status and the CIVIL ADMINISTRATION, EHHHHHHH very costly business for the occupier.
pres. Abbas must stop asking for 2SSolution, as Netanyahu & Co, are going straight unaware for a Binational State. When ONE MAN one VOTE is a must in any DEMOCRASY.
also refer the construction of buildings of the 900 units at Gilo under the same MORATORIUM so that ALL of YOU( Israelis and Palestinans) can start NEGOCIATIONS, quickly and in good faith.? Who is going to loose if you politicians accept the will of the majority of your constituencies.? You will do them, and us all in this region, a valuable service. just think about it. GOD BLESS YOU ALL, the willings. Salaam
Have troops been sent to observe major construction sites? Or are 40 blind mice spreading out, with seeing eye cockroaches, to attempt to find something where no construction was going on? Israel finds itself in the position of Iran. Duplicity and prevarication have been so pervasive that folks find it hard to believe anything said without solid proof it is true.
Chris - It is not a stupid question. Abbas has repeatedly stated that Jews can continue to live in the Palestinian, subject to Palestinian laws. This means Palestinian Jews will be treated exactly the same as Israeli Arabs.
Not much into any substantive discussion or thought, are you, "Tony"? Just the same old 'cut and pasted' drivel. How many times a day do you figure you simply press 'ctrl v' now?
Quoting settler leaders: "A decision likely to bring serious harm to the assets of Israeli citizens and is unrelated to security cannot be made in an underhanded, covert way..." ... plainly a ridiculous settler response ... ... for the past six months this fallacious "freeze" has been under open discussion... nothing "underhand" about that... ... moreover, Bibi's ultimate purposse for introducig it, is precisely because he knows how much we need the compliance of the USA for our ultimate defence...
Again and again the same old talk about a one state solution, peace now blah blah blah. Israelis and palestinias arent falling in love with each other, forcing them to live under a same goverment will only bring them into civil war. Theres absolutelly no point in one state, as it wont end the conflict.
tony means like the 23 arab states then a beam of light came down and said :tony wake up to reality !
Why can't there be a Palestinian State with some 300.000 or more Jews living there ? In the Northern Italian Province of Alto Adige (Suedtirol) German speaking Tyrolians live peacefully alongside with the Italians. Let the Jews on the West Bank decide if they want to continue to live there or if they prefere to move to the State of Israel. With no wall and no Apartheid a coexistence of Palestinias and Jews should be equally possible in both states living side by side.
"Asked about the incident, Hiromoto said: "There was no violence." He did not immediately offer details on where or why construction equipment had been confiscated." So no actual evidence of anything actually happening then. Crackdowns on Pals are usually visible by cracks down the walls as the bulldozer goes through them. Are we going to see anything similar with the Jews-only settlements? In fact, are we going to see any evidence at all of the phantom freeze?
No israel, No Palestine. One State Solution is the best for all. One Man, One Vote, Equality for all inhabitants. Equal Pay for Equal Work, Equal Water Rights. No Apartheid, No Segregation...A Very True Secular Democracy. Let us call it :?State of Holy Land?.
Children and parents sleep in the same room. Toilets/Washrooms can not be added. Young Married must move out to Bethlehem cuz they can not build a room, let a lone a house on their land in Gush Etzion. Those Arabs living under the PA can build. Those living closest to settlements (and work in the settleements, are good neighbors, etc) are the most limited. And we cry that are not temporarily freezing our growth which has been admirable over the years.
stop being ridicilous