By Ted Belman
YNET reorts Rights groups: State practices ‘zoning Apartheid’
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Civil rights groups advocating for Palestinian residents of the Israeli-controlled territories of the West Bank have accused the State of discriminating against villages seeking to expand.
For nearly two decades, a temporary agreement between Israel and the Palestinians has allowed the Jewish state to maintain full control of Area C, a territory that stretches across 62% of the West Bank and is inhabited by 50,000 Palestinians and over 300,000 Jewish settlers.
It is important to point out that though the agreement was expected to be temporary, it would only end when the “final status” issues were agreed upon. This never happened due to the fault of the PA, and thus the agreement continues.
Yes discrimation exists which suggests it is unlawful. But it isn’t. The Jews were given the right to settle this land and so they are permitted to do so. The rights of the Arabs are determined by the Oslo Accords which in no way gives the Arabs the right to settle in Area C. That’s why the writer stresses the agreement was a temporary one. He doesn’t want to be bound by it.
Whether our High Court agrees with me is yet to be seen.
The left-wing NGO’s argue:
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“The administration has a duty, as per the international humanitarian law, to protect the lives of the occupied territory’s residents, and to make changes in a manner that would raise their quality of life.”
By doing so they resort to the humanitarian provisions of the Fourth Geneva Convention. They may or may not be interpreting it correctly. The Outpost Committee Report, soon to be released, claims that the FGC does not apply.
Furthermore, they allege a duty on Israel that simply doesn’t exist in international law. But that is not surprising as they do it all the time.
But beyond that, the PLO, representing the Palestinians, entered into the Oslo Accords which supercedes the rights under the FGC. As such, both Israel and the Palestinians are bound by it. It does not give the Arabs the right to settle in Area C.
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The Rabbis for Human Rights organization has recently petitioned the High Court of Justice to restore the Palestinian rights to build in Area C. The matter has also drawn criticism from the international community, with the European Union issuing damning reports over what it claims are discriminatory policies.
I might add that this is all part of an alliance between the EU and the Arabs to take Area C from the Jews.
Thus the Court will have to decide a) if the FGC applies and b) if it is superceded by the Oslo Accords.
While the Civil Administration has been silent on the matter, Regavim, which monitors Palestinian construction in the West Bank, has taken a strong stand:
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It dismissed the rights groups’ claims as “devoid of truth.” If discriminatory practices exist, the organization’s representatives said, they are directed against the Jewish settlers in the area. While the planning procedures for Israelis are marred in length bureaucracy, special regulations speed up the process for Palestinians.
“There is no law or an international duty that requires Israel to allow the Palestinians to live wherever they like,” a spokesperson for Regavim said. “On the contrary, the international law requires Israel to maintain a professional planning system that benefits all of the area’s residents.
“The claims made by ACRI and Bimkom are nothing more than cheap demagoguery and a cynical attempt to abuse international law to aid the Palestinians to take over more land in Area C.”
“The groups should reveal the true political motives behind their actions instead of hiding behind the false premise of concern for human rights,”
I hope it is right. I am sure when they learn of the Outpost Committee Report, they will update their answer.
Israel has lots of enemies but there is one over arching enemy that may one day destroy the state. Let me explain.
Israel is a bit like a 375-pound, middle-aged man with a heart condition walking down a city street at night eating a Big Mac. He’s sweating profusely because he’s afraid he might get mugged. But the thing that’s going to kill him is the burger.
Many in Israel have a rampant, untreated case of enemy dependency. Politicians love enemies because bashing them helps stir up public sentiment and distracts from the many internal problems.- such as corruption, internal dissension, factionalism, religious hatreds,social discord and most of all total disagreement as to where the nation should be heading.
And this lack of unity is well reflected in the comments found on this site. One thousand Jews -one thousand opinions.
Should Israel be destroyed, it will not be due to external forces – most likely the state will simply split apart.
This isn’t 1970. There are barely any Christians left in the Arab world. And the few Christians that are left, are themselves being persecuted by muslims. Perhaps you should wake up and look beyond the Christian phobia you have and understand the motivation behind the islamic war on Jews is rooted in the koran.
Laura Said:
many atheists, and buddhists and Xtians are activists for the Palestinians, particularly in the West, and no it’s not cuz they’re afraid of Islam.
The original Palli terrorists were Xtian, not Muslims, Jorge Habash, do you know of him? The Black September gang and the Palestinian Liberation Org had xtian terrorists. The nationalistic Arabs and the least religous are the worst anti Israel activists and terrorists.
Do wake up Laura, and look beyond the liberal/muslim/oil/leftist phobia you have. You don’t really appear to understand the history and motivations both past and present.
@ andrew morris:
So what? The world is fearful of muslims and is dependent on Arab oil. So this recognition of false fakestinian claims to Israel has nothing to do with what’s right and just, and everything to do with the self-interests of nations. Israel should also do what is in its self-interest and annex what rightfully belongs to the Jewish state.
andrew morris Said:
Ok andrewmorris you are correct. No need to fret and ‘obsess’ about libtards et al.
To hell with world’s opinion AND those that are oh so concerned about the invented people…..
And to paraphrase you, that would be ‘everywhere…’ including Antarctica’ …with absolutely no exception.
@ andrew morris:
andrew morris and stanley share a phobic concern over Laura.
By chance are you boy friends?.
There are several states who will allow you to marry.
@ Laura:
The WORLD, with absolutely no exception, recognizes the sovereignty of the Palestinians over the territories. That would include nations that are of the left, right, center, or any other direction. Asia, Africa, Ausralia, North America, Europe. Antartica— Everywhere. So maybe you will stop your obsessing over your phobic concern regarding leftists, liberals. Enough already.
Typical of euro and leftist hypocrites who think its fine to bar Jews altogether from areas controlled by the PA and even in parts of Jerusalem which is under Israeli sovereignty. Yet cry discrimination when the state is slow to give building permits for “palestinians” in Israeli controlled area C.
No. The Palestine mandate declared Britain’s obligation to establish a JEWISH homeland in Palestine (hence Jewish “settlements”), but no concomitant obligation to establish an ARAB homeland (hence Arab settlements). The unoccupied land of Israel, therefore, ALL of it, is to become a Jewish homeland, whereas the Arabs are confined to having rights respected WHERE THEY ORIGINALLY LIVED (not in new settlements).
Try telling this to the Jews in Israel, though, and it’s like speaking to aliens from Mars.
“God helps those who help themselves”
— Algernon Sidney, 1651
I assume, 🙂 , that those groups that are pushing for Palestinian construction in area C would also push for Israeli construction in areas A and B. But I’ve been known to be wrong before.
AGREED @ C.R.:
Islamic Arabs–the so called but not palestinians–should never be allowed to build anything anywhere in Israel!
Israel was not given to the Arabs by God–the land of Israel was given to the Jews by God’s divine ordinance!
AGREED@ Arnold Harris:
No, the Arabs have no such rights to build settlements in Area C, and none but Jewish settlements should be allowed. The only human right that should be applied here is that of the Jewish nation to re-establish itself on the soil of its original homeland. That right must be exclusive to the Jewish nation.
In any case, if Israel is to annex Area C, which is what the general opinion of the Jewish nation resident in Israel is coming to, than the government of Israel should take no action that would impede annexation. I understand from the population data made available that the Jewish population of Shomron and Yehuda, which I presume is more or less confined to Area C, amounts to about 400,000 if the resident Jewish student population is included, compared to about 50,000 Arabs. That amounts to about 88.9 percent. Why would any rational elected or appointed official with to burden the Jewish state with absorbing or being compelled at some point of time to expelling or jailing any of these people?
Arnold Harris
Mount Horeb WI