Yediot Aharonot reports 120 ‘outposts’ to be ‘authorized’ in West Bank
Take it for what it’s worth, but Arutz Sheva says that Yediot Aharonot is reporting that 120 ‘outposts’ will become ‘legal’ following the withdrawal from Gaza, assuming it happens.
BBC reports the Israeli government is denying Yediot Aharonot’s report that over 6,000 new homes are to be built in the West Bank in addition to ‘legitimizing’ the 120 ‘outposts’. BBC Also notes that
“Under the roadmap, Israel is obliged to dismantle all outposts erected since March, 2001, when Ariel Sharon took office.”
Yossi Beilin says disengagement is a scheme to surrender Gaza in order to strengthen Israel’s hold on the West Bank.
Inexplicably, Turkish Weekly reports that instead of 6,000 new homes to be built, it’s 6,000 new settlements, and that instead of 120 ‘outposts’ being legitimized, it will be ‘120 police stations’. Time to get a new translator, perhaps?
And if you probably check Saudi, Syrian, etc papers it will say 6,000 New nuclear cylos have been made, and the US and INdia have set up 120 new spy stations
Frankly the report from Jerusalem Newswilre was bizarre too. It acted as if Beilin’s claims were shocking then quoted Sharon admitting to exactly what “far left” Beilin said.
BTW, Mobius, do you have any interesting observations on why Israel’s politics is so right wing that Beilin is “far left”, or why people in Israel get some strange Orwellian treatment just for stating the obvious?
I would prefer a post to a reply!
BTW, Yediot Aharonot now has its own website online.
http://www.ynetnews.com/home/0,7340,L-3083,00.html
Yawn,
old news. These are the amount of housing units approved over the years in various settlements. Some are being built, most will not even get off the drawing board, but any serious settlement, like a ‘regular’ city, always has expansion plans ‘in the drawer’ or shelved away.
JB, you should know by now how close the prime minister’s office has working with the Israeli media over the past three years. So many ‘leaks’ and guess where they come from?
Sharon Gov’t denies story it placed earlier about settlement construction http://imra.org.il/story.php3?id=24295
If you’re saying Sharon is ‘placing’ these stories with the media, then that seems like a provocation
The ‘leaks’ from the prime minister’s office are an open secret here.
Specific reporters in the media always seem to get news (that usually turns out to be reputable) ahead of others. I read a modest expose about this in Makor Rishon about a year ago, (perhaps by David Bedein?) and little tidbits of this symbiotic media/Sharon relationship appear every once in a while. The article reported how many reporters/columnists are afraid to oppose/piss off Sharon or Weisglass, his office manager, in case that might threaten them from receiving leaks in the future.
FWIW,
don’t you know how 21st century politics works? Do you think that it’s any different in the ‘republic’ where you live? Where do you think these tactics were learnt?
Are you really that naive?
As for your provocation accusation – read Mobius’ post about Big Brother thought police secret police unit being established in Israel. Just like the KGB of yesteryear.
See note at end in bold. And please forward this as you see fit.
>> Arieh Lebowitz
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE / February 25, 2005
CONTACT: Lewis Roth (202) 728-1893 [email protected]
APN Attacks Plan for 6,000+ New Settlement Houses, Authorization for 120 Illegal Outposts
Washington, D.C.—Americans for Peace Now (APN) today denounced an Israeli government plan to substantially boost settlement construction in the West Bank, while providing retroactive approval for 120 illegal settlement outposts. According to a report in Yedioth Ahronoth, the Israel Lands Administration (ILA) plan for 2005 includes construction of 6,391 new settlement housing units in the West Bank: 2,100 for Maale Adumim; 1,500 for Modiin Elite; 500 for Beitar Elite; 35 for Har Gilo; 132 for Givat Zeev; 200 for Geva Binyamin; 240 for Etz Ephraim; 90 for Elkana; 24 for Alon Shvut; 70 for Har Adar; 1,500 for Zofim; and 1,500 on land on which the Jahalin Bedouin tribe lives near Maale Adumim. The plan shows that marketing of the houses “has been approved by the director of the Civil Administration and the defense minister, except for the settlement of Efrat.â€
Further, task Number 12 in the ILA plan for 2005 deals with “arranging the status of the illegal outposts.†The ILA writes, “The goal—there are 120 outposts for which planning and contractual arrangements must be made.†Arranging the status of the outposts is contingent upon the approval of the defense minister and the director of the Civil Administration.
The Road Map to Middle East peace obligates Israel to immediately remove settlement outposts constructed since March 2001 and freeze all settlement activity, including natural growth. President George W. Bush recently said that “Israel must freeze settlement activity.â€
“Americans for Peace Now recognizes the historic importance of Israel’s decision to evacuate settlements from Gaza and the northern West Bank and supports this initiative,†said Debra DeLee, President and CEO of Americans for Peace Now, a Jewish, Zionist organization that works to enhance Israel’s security through peace and to support the Israeli Peace Now movement. “However, the settlement expansion plan that was revealed in the Israeli press today negates many of the positive benefits of the upcoming evacuation. In effect, the Israeli government is planning to exchange around 1,700 settlement housing units that will be evacuated with over 6,000 settlement housing units that will be built. Even worse, it is planning to swap 25 settlements that are being dismantled with the creation of 120 fully authorized settlements in the West Bank through a process of retroactive approval. It is imperative for President Bush to hold the line on settlement expansion in the West Bank while supporting evacuation elsewhere in the occupied territories. Otherwise, his vision of a viable Palestinian state living next to a secure Israel will never be realized.â€
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Lewis Roth
Assistant Executive Director
Americans for Peace Now
1101 14th Street, N.W. Sixth Floor
Washington, D.C. 20005
tel: (202) 728-1893 Fax (202) 728-1895 website http://www.peacenow.org
ALSO LOOK AT THIS FINE WEBSITE OF THE SHALOM ACHSHAV MOVEMENT:
http://www.peacenow.org.il/site/en/homepage.asp?pi=25