Civil Administration told to crack down on illegal Arab structures
Defense Ministry order gives priorities to building that pose a 'security threat', applying most to structures close to roads in Jordan valley and Mount Hebron.
By Chaim LevinsonThe Civil Administration has received government orders to increase enforcement against illegal Palestinian construction in Area C of the West Bank, according to a deposition by an administration official to the High Court.
The deposition, by the administration's infrastructure authority, Colonel Zvika Cohen, came in response to a petition by Regavim.
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An Israeli bulldozer demolishing a Palestinian house in East Jerusalem on July 13, 2010 |
| Photo by: AP |
The group is seeking the destruction of illegal Palestinian construction at six West Bank sites, citing a security threat.
In High Court deliberations a month ago, state representative Nahi Ben-Or said there had been no enforcement against the illegal construction.
At the end of deliberations, the justices ordered the state to provide additional information, and called its response inadequate.
The response suggests that while the government does not intend to raze any illegal construction in one village, El-Bireh, because it is not a priority, it does intend to destroy Palestinian homes.
"The Defense Ministry has given instructions to step up enforcement against illegally built Palestinian structures, giving priority to structures that pose a security threat," the state said in its response to the court.
Hebron homes razed
A defense source said that this mostly applies to structures close to roads in the Jordan Valley and Mount Hebron.
For example, two buildings near Hebron were destroyed Thursday.
Regavim head Yehuda Eliyahu said, "As far as we can see, on the ground there has been no increase in supervision in places with a security threat. Once more the state is offering excuses. Why not enforce [the law] in the Palestinian community? With the sort of backing the state receives from the High Court against enforcement in the Palestinian communities, we can understand why the country is losing so much ground."
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In other words, the radical coalition has found another excuse to destroy Palestinian homes. Remember, every thing Hitler did in Germany was "technically legal", too ...
Israel must not be afraid to uphold the law and is obligated by justice to demolish the countless illegal Arab structures and illegal settlements.
Surely nobody is seriously thinking there is any possibility of an "independent" Palestinian state when there are restrictions like this in force? Perhaps there isn't a hebrew word for independence? "Security" also seems to be a word interpreted by Israel in a totally different way from the rest of the world!
Let's see now, "state lands", presuming it's the state of Israel, would fall within its borders. So what is this association doing concerning itself with land in the West Bank? Ethnic cleansing - what else! That's exactly what this association is all about, no matter where it's operating. In the West Bank its purpose is to prevent or curtail the establishment of any Palestinian "facts on ground" that don't already exist - and no doubt, just as it does in Jerusalem, quite probably works to undo any it can of those that do.
West Bank is Palestinian land.Only illegal creatures in occupied lands are Israeli settlers.
WB is not Pal land, they haven't claimed it yet. Tell your leader to come to the table and work the deal.
"The group is seeking the destruction of illegal Palestinian construction at six West Bank sites, citing a security threat" When a group cites "security threat" for justification then you know there is no justifiable reason for what they want done. It is the settler-equivalent of a doctor telling a patient that "you have a virus" i.e. we can't explain it, so we'll use the catch-all phrase instead. Terror! Terror! Terror! Security! Security! Security! There, I've just waved my magic wand and now I can do anything I want....
how can something be illegal if israeli laws do not apply to the west bank? did the international community recognize the west bank as israel's property while i was sleeping or something?
Or Burmese law, or Plutonian Law. It is disputed territory, and Abbas can/t seem to get off his arse to end the dispute, can he?. Meanwhile the adults have to tend to business and make things safe for everyone. It is one of the duties of leadership.
Or Burmese law, or Plutonian Law. It is disputed territory, and Abbas can/t seem to get off his arse to end the dispute, can he?. Meanwhile the adults have to tend to business and make things safe for everyone. It is one of the duties of leadership.
Every country in the world, other than Israel, recognizes the West Bank as Palestinian. This is like saying that because some people in Vermont think that their state should be part of Canada, Vermont is now "disputed land" on which Canadians can build and demolish homes at leisure.
Your argument is nonsensical i.e. just because the OCCUPYING POWER is prohibited from applying its own laws to occupied territory does not mean that "no laws apply there". Occupied territory is not the Wild Wild West, just as an occupying power is not a medieval warlord.