November 27, 2009

Times Online (UK): "West Bank settlers carry on building as new freeze is proposed"

James Hider in Revava, West Bank

At the small Jewish community of Revava in the northern West Bank, it was difficult to see yesterday what difference Israel's freeze on settlement building would make. Construction continued on 20 housing units and the locals were apparently unperturbed by politicking between Jerusalem and Washington.

Under the proposal announced by Binyamin Netanyahu on Wednesday, no new residential permits will be issued and no new residential construction can start for ten months in the West Bank, excluding east Jerusalem. This was not stopping an American-Israeli homeowner and his family, who were working on the shell of their new house -- one of 3,000 that have already been started and which will, therefore, continue.

The settlers of Revava admitted that existing curbs on building were beginning to bite. "It is a big problem," said David, an armed private security guard. "There's a great demand for housing here. There are lots of people applying for housing. My family lived in a three-room apartment but the family grew and now it is too small."

The settlers, who call the West Bank area Judea and Samaria, said that they would do their best to continue building, despite the Government's plans. "This is the heartland of our national claim, and the essence of Zionism is the return to the heartland where we once lived," said David Ha-Ivry, a spokesman for the Jewish community in the northern West Bank. "There are things that can be done [by the Government] to make it difficult for us to proceed, but we find solutions. It's part of the game. We're doing pretty well."

Many settlers have bought or rented homes across the green line because of the cheaper housing and tax breaks. A smaller number -- those building outposts on windswept hilltops -- are driven by the belief that the land was bequeathed to their ancestors by God.

Mr Ha-Ivry said that the settlers' efforts in the West Bank were merely a continuation of the struggle to build Israel as a state. "The state of Israel can never accept an additional state west of the Jordan river," he said, referring to Palestinian demands for statehood.

The Israeli Prime Minister's freeze on new construction has had a mixed reception. Palestinian leaders were quick to condemn it for not including east Jerusalem, while Avigdor Lieberman, Israel's Foreign Minister, insisted that it was up to them to decide whether to return to negotiations.

The US gave the offer a cautious welcome and there was praise from France as "a step in the right direction". Even the anti-settlement Israeli group Peace Now called the move "historic". There was criticism, however. Russia, a member of the international "quartet" trying to alleviate the conflict, said the move did not go far enough. "What is needed is a full stop to settlement activity, including 'natural growth', related to all the occupied Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem," the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

David Miliband, the Foreign Secretary, called on Israel to implement a full freeze on settlements, which he called illegal.

Yossi Beilin, a prominent Israeli liberal and former MP, said that the partial temporary freeze would further undermine President Abbas, who has said he will not stand for re-election next year because of the lack of progress in peace efforts: "The Americans are indirectly legitimising construction in east Jerusalem."

Yesterday Menachem Mazuz, the Attorney-General, told the Cabinet that there were only 14 inspectors to monitor construction across the whole of the West Bank, where about 300,000 settlers live. Ministers authorised a supplementary budget to enforce the freeze.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article6934110.ece 


YNET: "Yesha Council: West Bank construction freeze illegitimate"

11/26/09
 
Construction beyond Green Line continues despite government's decision to enforce 10-month freeze. 'If we don't build now, permits will be put on hold or lost,' say right-wing sources
 
By Efrat Weiss
 
Yesha Council heads announced Thursday that they see the government's decision to halt construction in the settlements as illegitimate and will "continue to build with or without the government."
 
"Freezing the construction is an immoral, non-Jewish and anti-Semitic step. This step promotes the dangerous establishment of a Palestinian state, which constitutes an existential threat to the State of Israel," read a statement on behalf of the Council.
 
Earlier it was reported that despite the government's decision to freeze construction in the settlements for the next 10 months, dozens of projects are still at full swing, with plans to build hundreds of housing units in dozens of settlements all throughout the West Bank.
 
The said projects were approved by past governments and are separate from the 492 housing units that were approved by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak last summer.
 
Sources at the Yesha Council claim that the execution of these projects is based on old permits or is done on private property that does not require governmental consent. "If we don't hurry up and build now, the permits will be put on hold and will be lost," one of the sources said.
 
"The biggest absurdity is that part of the 492 units that were approved recently were already approved during (former PM Ehud) Olmert's term," said Yesha Council spokesman Yishai Hollander.
 
An expert on construction in the West Bank told Ynet that "the amount and dispersal of new construction projects in recent months indicate that there is no enforcement of a solidified freezing plan. In this situation, the result is the opposite, and the settlers have heightened motivation to start building."
 
The current projects are either being constructed in settlement blocks, or in isolated settlements. Some of the projects include: Beitar Ilit, Elazar in Gush Etzion (80 housing units), Beit Arie (over 100 units), Kiryat Arba, Rosh Zurim, Neria, Givat Habrecha, Na'ale, Nili, Alon (dozens of units), Maale Machmesh (18 units), Shilo (10 units), Eli (10 units), Bracha (15 units), Yitzhar (10 units), Carmel (10 units), Ma'on (10 units), Tekoa (dozens of units) and Nokdim (10 units).
 
In addition, of the building permits approved in the past summer, construction has been taking place in Har Gilo (149 units), Alon Shvut (12 units), Modi'in Ilit (84 units), Givaat Ze'ev vicinity (76 units), Keidar (25 units), Maskiot (20 units) and 89 units in Maale Adumim. In addition, the Defense Minister approved the construction of a sports park in Ariel, and a new school in Har Adar.
 
Right-wing sources claim all the above projects received proper permits from Israeli governments of the past, while left-wing activists argue that only some of the projects received such approval.
  
However, both sides of the political map agree that the pace of construction has slowed down in comparison to the pace during Olmert's government, when thousands of housing units were built.
 
Peace Now Secretary General Yariv Oppenheimer said in response that "By employing the 'grab all you can' method, settlers force us to accept their actions as facts. The Defense Minister has the legal tools to enforce the construction freeze, such as freezing permits given in years past."

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3811379,00.html

 
IPS News: "MIDEAST: Settlements "Moratorium" Still Short of Freeze"
By Eli Clifton

WASHINGTON, Nov 25 (IPS) - U.S. special envoy to the Middle East George Mitchell and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton welcomed an announcement by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Wednesday that Israel will impose a 10-month "moratorium" on settlements, but warned that the move falls short of a freeze on settlement building - a condition that has been a mainstay of U.S. policy towards Israel.

"We have been told by our friends that once Israel takes the first meaningful steps towards peace, the Arab world and the Palestinians will follow," Netanyahu said after winning the security cabinet's approval for the moratorium. "Well, the government of Israel has taken a very big step towards peace today, and I hope the Palestinian and the Arab world will work with us to forge a new beginning for our children and theirs."

Mitchell responded favourably to the move but warned that the steps fall short of U.S. calls for a full freeze on settlements.

"It falls short of a full settlement freeze, but it is more than any Israeli government has done before and can help movement toward agreement between the parties," Mitchell said.

"While they fall short of a full freeze, we believe the steps announced by the prime minister are significant and could have substantial impact on the ground," Mitchell continued. "For the first time ever an Israeli government will stop housing approvals and all new construction of housing units and related infrastructure in West Bank settlements. That's a positive development."

Clinton also welcomed the announcement and said the moratorium was a move in the right direction.

"Today's announcement by the government of Israel helps move forward toward resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict," she said. "We believe that through good-faith negotiations the parties can mutually agree on an outcome which ends the conflict and reconciles the Palestinian goal of an independent and viable state based on the 1967 lines, with agreed swaps, and the Israeli goal of a Jewish state with secure and recognised borders that reflect subsequent developments and meet Israeli security requirements."

"Let me say to all the people of the region and world: our commitment to achieving a solution with two states living side by side in peace and security is unwavering," Clinton concluded.

"'Borders of 67' is the language that anyone who is talking about a genuine two-state solution is looking for," Daniel Levy, director of the Middle East Task Force at the New America Foundation and a former Israeli peace negotiator, told IPS.

"For this Israeli government it would certainly be an anathema. [The Obama administration's] language very consciously ups the ante," Levy said.

Since the beginning of his term, U.S. President Barack Obama has called for Israel to freeze settlements but continued settlement expansions in the West Bank had left observers pondering how much influence the White House held over the right-wing Likud party-led Israeli government.

The steps taken by Netanyahu fall noticeably short of the full freeze on settlements called for by the Obama administration.

Under the moratorium, exceptions will be made for the construction of schools and synagogues in existing West Bank settlements but no new building will be started.

Mitchell was careful to state that although the U.S. considers the moratorium a step in the right direction, "United States policy remains unaffected and unchanged," and "the status of Jerusalem and all other permanent status issues must be resolved by the parties through negotiations".

"The United States also disagrees with some Israeli actions in Jerusalem affecting Palestinians in areas such as housing, including the continuing pattern of evictions and demolitions of Palestinian homes. The United States has not accepted and disagrees with any unilateral action by either party which could have the effect of preempting negotiations," warned Mitchell.

Netanyahu's announcement got mixed reactions here in Washington.

The powerful American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) praised the move.

"AIPAC applauds today's major announcement by Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel's unilateral moratorium on settlement activity in the West Bank. The move, which goes further than any previous Israeli government in restraining activity, underscores the Jewish State's unyielding commitment to achieving peace with the Palestinians and all of its Arab neighbors," read an AIPAC statement.

"It also provides a deep expression of Israeli confidence in American diplomacy and Israeli dedication to cooperation with the United States in the pursuit of peace in the Middle East," the statement continued.

Americans for Peace Now (APN) issued a statement welcoming the moratorium announcement but echoed Mitchell's warning that Netanyahu's stance on settlements falls short of the freeze called for by the Obama administration.

"As noted by U.S. Special Envoy George Mitchell, the Israeli decision does not meet all of America's expectations. The United States continues to oppose all settlement construction," said APN.

"The Israeli decision also falls short of Israel's own interests, which are best served by a complete freeze. Expanding settlements creates new points of friction between Israelis and Palestinians. It burdens Israel's security services. It drains Israel's financial resources. It increases the barriers to the creation of a viable Palestinian state and thus creates a false impression that Israelis are not interested in a two-state solution," APN warned.

J Street, the new "pro-Israel" lobby in Washington, also picked up on Netanyahu's failure to impose a freeze on settlements or address the situation in East Jerusalem.

"Senator Mitchell is correct to note that in halting some settlement construction for a limited time, this Israeli government has taken a step forward. However, this is not the full settlement freeze called for by the United States and does not address the deteriorating situation in East Jerusalem," said J Street Executive Director Jeremy Ben-Ami.

"Israel, the Palestinians and the broader Arab world will all need to do far more if we are to see real progress toward resolution of the conflict," concluded Ben-Ami.

Netanyahu's decision to impose a moratorium instead of a freeze on settlement construction is noticeable in that it permits the Israeli government to argue that concessions have been made but falls well short of the settlement freezes mandated in the Roadmap for Peace, first outlined by U.S. President George W. Bush in 2002.

http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=49421


11/26/09
 
Yedioth Ahronoth: "Freeze on a Low Flame"

by Ofer Petersburg and Itamar Eichner -- Prime Minister Netanyahu loudly declared a construction freeze in the territories yesterday. In practice, construction in the territories has been frozen for some time.

   In the last few months the Housing Ministry has been trying, time after time, to get the Defense Ministry to approve tenders for 2,200 housing units in the territories. The procedures call for the Housing Ministry  to go through the Defense Ministry, which must approve tenders.

   But every time a tender was submitted, it was turned down. "A construction freeze has been the government's policy since the beginning," says a high-ranking Housing Ministry official, "not a single construction tender for over the Green Line has gone out since the Netanyahu government has been in power."

   Peace Now also confirms that the Netanyahu government, unusually, has not marketed tenders in the territories since its establishment. "The only construction is private construction according to plans approved a long time ago," says Peace Now Secretary General Yariv Oppenheimer.

   Ariel Mayor Ron Nahman said yesterday, "Construction in Ariel has been frozen for 17 years. Entire neighborhoods were not approved except for a few dozen units for former residents of Gush Katif."

   But construction in Jerusalem will continue as usual. Thousands of housing units in Har Homa, Pisgat Zeev and Gilo are expected to be marketed soon.

   The problem with a declaration about a construction freeze in the settlements relates to about 500 construction starts that were approved throughout Judea and Samaria based on old plans. Construction in them has begun, and will continue, however, many plans for continuing construction in the settlement will be frozen.

   There were differences in the prime minister's announcement last night in what he said in Hebrew and what he said in English. In English, Netanyahu used the word "restraint" when referring to construction in the settlements. That was the word used by President Obama in his UN speech and was understood in Israel as a step back in the American demand for a complete freeze. In Hebrew, the prime minister talked about "construction for natural growth." The Netanyahu government presented the need for construction for natural growth as a red line, however, this expression is viewed by the Americans and the international community as a ruse meant to justify construction beyond the Green Line.


11/30/09
 
Yedioth Ahronoth:"Settlers Lay Mock Foundations"

Yedioth Ahronoth (p. 6) by Zvi Singer and Itamar Eichner -- Immediately after the prime minister announced a settlement construction freeze, settlers in a number of settlements rushed to lay fake foundations in areas that had been cleared for construction. Their goal was to make the sites in question appear in the aerial photographs to be taken by the Defense Ministry as if they contained buildings in mid-construction, the foundations of which were already fully laid.

   The settlers, it appears, knew in advance about the Defense Ministry's intention to take aerial photographs thanks to a document that fell into their hands, and they prepared in advance accordingly. The construction freeze orders stipulate the cancellation of construction permits that had already been issued for thousands of housing units because the foundations for those housing units were not laid.

   Yedioth Ahronoth received inside information from the settlement Neria that the residents of the settlement were called, on Friday, to go to a section of the settlement where groundwork had been completed in advance of construction work in order to pour concrete on 20 plots that were earmarked for construction.

   Peace Now monitoring teams yesterday toured settlements in Judea and Samaria and found newly-laid concrete in the settlements Neria, Modiin Illit, Elazar, Adam and Naale.

   "The settlers are continuing to lie and to deceive the government and the Israeli public," said Peace Now Secretary General Yariv Oppenheimer. "Now is Barak's moment of truth and he bears responsibility for enforcing the law and must stand firm in the face of the people who refuse to accept the government's sovereignty."

   Civil Administration officials last night said they were unaware of the reported phenomenon and told Yedioth Ahronoth that they would look into the matter.

   Settlers Council officials last night also said they were unfamiliar with the information. "I don't know anything about the subject," said Settlers Council Chairman Danny Dayan to Yedioth Ahronoth. A leaked Defense Ministry document served to expedite the issuing of construction permits by the regional councils before the orders freezing construction were served. That is what happened in the Binyamin Regional Council. Council Chairman Avi Roeh admitted in a conversation he held with Yedioth Ahronoth: "We issue construction permits all the time. Of course in the past number of weeks the pace was higher because we knew about the intention to freeze. That's why people ran in with their plans to have them approved."

   Meanwhile, Defense Minister Ehud Barak instructed the Defense Ministry to hire as quickly as possible new building inspectors so as to ensure that the settlement construction freeze decision was being implemented on the ground.

   Currently, only 14 building inspectors work in Judea and Samaria. Acting on the defense minister's orders, an additional 40 building inspectors are going to be hired in the course of the next two weeks or so.

   The enforcement will be the joint task of the Israel Police, the Border Police and the Civil Administration, and it will be coordinated and overseen by the IDF.