ISRAEL SHOULD BE ACTING NOT ASKING
The European Union has been fairly public in the last few years about its financial support for illegal Palestinian construction in Area C, including the placement of its logo on those structures.
European foreign ministers likely will discuss the growing tension with Israel over their support for Palestinian development of Area C of the West Bank when they meet in Brussels on Monday, diplomatic sources told The Jerusalem Post.
The members of the European Union’s Foreign Affairs Council also are expected to restate a number of established positions with regard to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
But it was unclear as of Saturday whether the statement the council will issue at the end of its meeting would speak of new action, either with respect to additional clarifications on its policy of only recognizing Israel at the pre-1967 lines or in regard to Area C.
The European Union has been fairly public in the last few years about its financial support for illegal Palestinian construction in Area C, including the placement of its logo on those structures.
Any statement issued by the council must have the unanimous support of all 28 member states.
Tensions have been particularly high between the EU and Israel since the November publication of its consumer guidelines with regard to marking products produced over the Green Line as “not made in Israel.”
Speaking to the foreign press in Jerusalem on Thursday night, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for a “reset” in Israel’s relationship with the EU, but he also slammed the product labeling as “abhorrent” and warned that EU support of illegal Palestinian construction was a “clear attempt to create political realities” in the West Bank.
On Wednesday, Avivit Bar-Ilan, director of the Foreign Ministry Department for European Organizations, warned that the EU was weighing whether to demand monetary compensation from Israel for illegal Palestinian structures that the IDF demolished even though they were funded by the EU.
Area C of the West Bank, where all the settlements are located, is under full Israeli military and civilian control.
All construction and development of that area falls under the authority of the civil administration.
The EU believes Israel’s presence there is illegal and that Palestinian development of that area is vital to the Palestinian economy.
As the peace process faltered and then froze altogether, the EU has increased its efforts to help the Palestinians develop that area, including supporting illegal construction.
It believes such efforts are the kind of humanitarian aid allowable under international law.
In the past year, the non-governmental group Regavim has lobbied against such building, and last Sunday brought politicians to the area of Ma’aleh Adumim so they could see for themselves the extent of the EU-supported construction. It has estimated that, from 2012 to 2014, some 400 modular structures were built in Area C with the EU’s help.
On Wednesday, the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee subgroup on Judea and Samaria debated EU support of illegal Palestinian building, as well as the IDF’s failure to halt it.
Bar-Ilan told the group her office has brought up the matter with the Europeans on a regular basis.
MK Shuli Moalem-Refaeli (Bayit Yehudi) seemed surprised. “Why are we letting EU equipment into Area C?” she asked. “Why aren’t we confiscating it? “You are talking and talking. I have never heard so many words that amount to nothing. Such behavior is intolerable. If you can’t do your work, you should return your keys [to the office],” she added.
MK Michael Oren (Kulanu) charged that the EU was “blatantly creating facts on the ground” with the aim of helping the Palestinians create a state without negotiations.
The matter needs to be dealt with at the policy level and the responsibility for it rests with the government, Oren said.
MK Moti Yogev (Bayit Yehudi) who chairs the FADC subgroup said the responsibility for lack of enforcement with regard to EU-funded projects and illegal Palestinian construction as a whole lay with the IDF.
“Officers in uniform are not doing their job, and we will insist on a commission of inquiry to deal with it,” Yogev stated angrily.
The lack of policy has simply allowed for a situation of lawlessness, he added.
Hundreds, if not thousands, of illegal Palestinian homes were built on state land in Area C of the West Bank, Yogev claimed, saying the Civil Administration of Judea and Samaria “has abandoned that territory.”
“This is simply construction terrorism directed by the Palestinian Authority with funding from the European Union that amounts to €110 million annually,” Yogev said.
The EU has also supported the illegal construction of Palestinian infrastructure, such as roads, in Area C, Yogev charged.
Representatives of the civil administration, the Foreign Ministry and the Prosecutor’s Office for Judea and Samaria took issue with Yogev’s words.
Civil administration deputy head Uri Mendes said his office is cracking down on illegal Palestinian building and destroying all such structures, save for those that are the subject of legal cases or are protected by a court injunction.
He explained that there is a fair amount of illegal building on the part of both Israelis and Palestinians in Area C.
In 2014, 904 illegal structures were built, of which 408 were destroyed, Mendes said.
Merav Ettinger, the legal adviser for the Judea and Samaria police, in turn, was not pleased with his comments.
“Enforcement [of building laws] is a top priority for us. We are disappointed that the civil administration has not asked for more help from us on this matter,” she said.
RalphtheOgre Said:
Exactly, I dont know why every one complains about the foreigners for saying exactly the same as the Gov of Israel.
As long ws Bibi has hidden the Levy Report in the bottom drawer, EU takes that as an indication they can steal from Israel whatever they want.
PA is about to fall apart it is time to start annexing pieces of Area C until it is all annexed.
Provide eviction notices to the illegal Pali structures paid for by the EU or otherwise. Tell the EU that any cost of destroying these structures will be deducted from the tax money given to the PA.
It will be no news what I have to again convey.
Mr. Netanyahu is the worst internal enemy of the Jewish State and Jewish national interests ever to hold office.
And eventually he will return, one way or another to “unite” with other mortal enemies including, if left to his own devices, the NIF operatives.
Behind his speechter acts and face making clown image is a sold out betrayer, liar, conniver, anti-Jewish element of the highest order.
I denounced that NOTHING will be low enough for that element while he seeks gain and fame. Netanyahu will do so, from destroying Jewish families, homes and farms starting with the nefarious “disengagement, that left to this days many families strewn and abandoned and him never stopping to now acting in the same fashion, to either ordering or condoning torture of sequestered people, Jews and Muslims alike, it was and is always Netanyahu leading all of that.
The EU was intentionally allowed by the subject to do as they are doing in all spheres. Financial sabotage, crude discrimination against the majority of our people and not only here, in their cursed EU countries as well, illegally building villages and highways for murderous Islamic hordes, etc.
IRAN. Make no mistake. Netanyahu and Dagan,(a Sharon plant) are one and the same regarding Iran. Netanyahu much as Sharon and his mole Dagan, never intended to stop Iran’s plans to be a nuclear power poised to destroy us all. Netanyahu intentionally pranced, danced made faces and speeched, helped himself to cardboard props and accused “the world” for nor acting while the Iranians advanced to THE BOMB.
Only depraved minds can maintain a torture apparatus as a state institution. Only a twisted soul could, for all practical purposes, close Temple Mount to Jews.
Rest assured that much as the gruesome individual stopped the Judge Levi Commission Report from being implemented, Netayahu will nickel and dime tear down the foreign agents exposure Law as well.
ONLY a full take down of the entire government system all included may stop the unJewish plans.
True free elections, held outside the control mechanisms of the combina, elections organized by the Jewish people may then elect the new system of government and our representatives.
It looks more and more that J & S are European territory! How can this be?
I doubt that the EU acted without BB approval over all these years. A normal PM telling the truth would end all their projects in YS and bar them from any presence in area C. But since BB probably gave them the under the table nod and wink he will likely do nothing except for a token to make it look like he is doing something.
What happened last year when it was discovered??????? NOTHING!!!!!!!!
In my opinion BB is a complete fraud, a total fake… I cannot take seriously the notion that during the many years of his terms that he did not know the euroscum were building these illegal homes for muslims on the Jewish homeland. I cannot beleive that they would have proceeded without his nod and wink. I beleive that he agreed to all their building and that he is lying when he pretends to be ignorant of what is going on. Meanwhile it is only because others brought this crookery to Jewish attention because Bb woul dlikely allow them to continue forever. That is his way, do the opposite under the table and issue calls of ignorance and rhetoric in place of any shred of action for right wing principle or agenda. Since written about last year he has still done nothing.
BB always does nothing… talks, pretends, announces, declares but all he does is hold the gov in trust for when the left comes back in. Israel elects a GOI they believe will implement a right wing agenda and all he does is allow everything bad to happen with no plans to deal with them becuase he probably agreed to the drama in the fist place
Now with Iran he is claiming his failing war of words to have been a great success…LOL. He continues to yap about everything he will not allow to happen but everything he said that about before has happened, for the worse. He had no plan for iran, and still has no plan.
He has no plan for the euro labeling, no plan for the euro blood libeling of settlers, no plan for their illegal building… there is drama, …. there is BB complaining and making noise….. but as usual when the smoke clears… there is NOTHING.
There is no plan to end the muslim abuse of Jews in Israel and the holy places… his plan is to maintain the status quo of muslim abuse and strengthen the abusers in the PA and Jordan.
Sorry, every day to me he looks like a bigger fraud. I beleive the only reason he has not yet made a unity gov with labor is because he does not have to…. his electors have accepted all his stories and continue to support his fakery.
Make it a zero sum game. For every dollar the Palis get from Europe, subtract one dollar in taxes received by the PA.
The eternal Jewish quest for acceptance by the Gentiles is a most futile and humiliating disgrace.
@ JoeBillScott:
Definitely time for a cleanup crew where required, but in a rational fashion.
There’s also the question of patience on the part of all concerned. The EU has its own considerable problems, and as far as I can see, its own built-in arrogance prevents it from seeing its own serious weak points. I doubt that given the problems in Western Europe, its governing mandate will last very much longer.
So it seems to be a question of whether to start the cleanup now, or wait until the EU has crumbled.
This is a little bit of 0bama’s “unprecedented intelligence and security cooperation” at work.
The Israeli officials have been bought and paid for by Obama and there are untold moles in every important area of the government. Time for a cleanup crew.