Short Takes
Settlement Report | Vol. 18 No. 2 | February-March 2008- Olmert and Settlements: Lofty Goals Betrayed by Actions on the Ground
- Lying to Oneself
- To Our Readers
- Rice Testifies at FOROPS Subcommittee
- Containing Palestinian Neighborhoods in and Around Jerusalem's Old City - 2008
- Settlement Time Line
- Short Takes
- Back Panel Quote
- Map: Containing Palestinian Neighborhoods in and Around Jerusalem's Old City - 2008
- Statistics: Settlement Construction
Post-Annapolis East Jerusalem Construction
Tenders for 440 units in East Jerusalem’s East Talpiot settlement were announced by the Israel Land Authority on January 1, 2008. The Housing and Construction Ministry announced the approval of 307 housing units in the East Jerusalem settlement of Har Homa on December 1, 2007. Plans to build another 1,000 apartments on absentee lands in stage 3 of the Har Homa settlement have been approved by the Jerusalem municipal planning board. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert approved the construction of 750 homes in the West Bank settlement of Givat Ze’ev on March 8, 2008. Approximately 50 units have been approved in the Gilo settlement since the Annapolis conference.
Peace Now, “Jerusalem Settlements Take Center Stage,” Settlements in Focus, February 2008
—————————————
Har Homa: Despite the Headlines, Construction Boom Continues
Jerusalem’s Har Homa [settlement] has appeared in many headlines lately. In the past week, tenders were published for the construction of 307 housing units in Har Homa, causing tensions between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. . . . In Israel’s view, Har Homa is within the municipal boundaries of Jerusalem and therefore Israeli law applies to it. Construction, therefore, is legal. . . . Despite the controversy over Har Homa, it appears that this has not hurt construction or apartment sales in the [settlement]. The new project includes five apartment buildings of apartments of 3, 4, and 5 rooms. Each apartment will have a garden and balcony.
Jerusalem Real Estate Magazine, January 2008
—————————————
Palestinian Land Owners of Homesh Will Be Awarded Millions
The state of Israel is expected to pay tens of millions of shekels to twenty Palestinian landowners who have requested compensation for Israel’s use of their private land over the years to construct the settlement of Homesh, which was evacuated in the 2005 disengagement. The landowners have asked for 40 million shekels and to return to their land, and the state of Israel is interest in reaching an settlement with them in order to prevent legal proceedings.
The plaintiffs are Palestinian landowners from Burqa village and the land in question is private land that was confiscated by the IDF for security purposes. These security confiscation orders do not change the ownership of the land, but are intended for temporary security purposes. When the orders expire, the land is supposed to revert to the owner and monetary compensation for the use of the land is to be paid. Until now, there have only been a few cases where Palestinians filed petitions in order to receive monetary compensation. The reason for this is that receiving money from Israel can be misconstrued as a sale of the land.
Barak Ravid, Ha’aretz, January 13, 2008
—————————————
Migron Founders—Government Okayed, Funded Settlement
The Migron outpost, which the state promised the High Court of Justice to dismantle by August, was established with the encouragement of former prime minister Ariel Sharon and the approval of then defense minister Benjamin Ben Eliezer, two of Migron’s founders have told Ha’aretz. As the High Court hearing on Migron resumes today, members of the outpost plan to argue that it was built on land purchased in part by Jews, contrary to the state’s announcement that it was private Palestinian land. Palestinians who claim ownership of the outpost land petitioned the High Court, along with the Peace Now movement. In its much delayed reply to the petition, the state told the court last month that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Defense Minister Ehud Barak have decided to remove the outpost by August.
The state’s reply says Migron was built on Palestinian land. But the two Migron founders, Itai Harel and Shuki Sat, as well as outpost secretary Avi Teksler claim that half of Migron’s lands were bought by Jews through the El Watan company, which is controlled by Migron residents. Harel and Sat also maintain that Sharon knew about the outpost's establishment. Sat says that in 2002 Sharon complained to settler leaders that the outpost's trailers were not placed at the highest point on the hill, and during official discussions even said that “Migron is a clear example of an outpost that has strategic importance from a security standpoint—one that must not be removed.” Sat and Harel present documents purportedly demonstrating that in 2002 and 2003 Ben Eliezer approved the process of planning and permits for Migron, including moving forward on buying land there, which the settlers initiated, as well as steps to include Migron in the jurisdiction of the nearby settlement Kochav Yaakov. . . .
The rural building administration for the Jerusalem district (a branch of the Housing and Construction Ministry) transferred more than $1 million for setting up Migron’s infrastructure—including water, electricity and sewage—and another $200,000 for building a synagogue, day care center and kindergarten. The [documents] also contain the detailed master plan for Migron as a neighborhood of 500 housing units on 890 dunams of land. This plan was prepared and paid for by the Housing Ministry, and states that the landholder is the Custodian of Absentee Property in Judea and Samaria.
Nadav Shargai, Ha’aretz, February 5, 2008
—————————————
Tenders for 440 units in East Jerusalem’s East Talpiot settlement were announced by the Israel Land Authority on January 1, 2008. The Housing and Construction Ministry announced the approval of 307 housing units in the East Jerusalem settlement of Har Homa on December 1, 2007. Plans to build another 1,000 apartments on absentee lands in stage 3 of the Har Homa settlement have been approved by the Jerusalem municipal planning board. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert approved the construction of 750 homes in the West Bank settlement of Givat Ze’ev on March 8, 2008. Approximately 50 units have been approved in the Gilo settlement since the Annapolis conference.
Peace Now, “Jerusalem Settlements Take Center Stage,” Settlements in Focus, February 2008
—————————————
Har Homa: Despite the Headlines, Construction Boom Continues
Jerusalem’s Har Homa [settlement] has appeared in many headlines lately. In the past week, tenders were published for the construction of 307 housing units in Har Homa, causing tensions between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. . . . In Israel’s view, Har Homa is within the municipal boundaries of Jerusalem and therefore Israeli law applies to it. Construction, therefore, is legal. . . . Despite the controversy over Har Homa, it appears that this has not hurt construction or apartment sales in the [settlement]. The new project includes five apartment buildings of apartments of 3, 4, and 5 rooms. Each apartment will have a garden and balcony.
Jerusalem Real Estate Magazine, January 2008
—————————————
Palestinian Land Owners of Homesh Will Be Awarded Millions
The state of Israel is expected to pay tens of millions of shekels to twenty Palestinian landowners who have requested compensation for Israel’s use of their private land over the years to construct the settlement of Homesh, which was evacuated in the 2005 disengagement. The landowners have asked for 40 million shekels and to return to their land, and the state of Israel is interest in reaching an settlement with them in order to prevent legal proceedings.
The plaintiffs are Palestinian landowners from Burqa village and the land in question is private land that was confiscated by the IDF for security purposes. These security confiscation orders do not change the ownership of the land, but are intended for temporary security purposes. When the orders expire, the land is supposed to revert to the owner and monetary compensation for the use of the land is to be paid. Until now, there have only been a few cases where Palestinians filed petitions in order to receive monetary compensation. The reason for this is that receiving money from Israel can be misconstrued as a sale of the land.
Barak Ravid, Ha’aretz, January 13, 2008
—————————————
Migron Founders—Government Okayed, Funded Settlement
The Migron outpost, which the state promised the High Court of Justice to dismantle by August, was established with the encouragement of former prime minister Ariel Sharon and the approval of then defense minister Benjamin Ben Eliezer, two of Migron’s founders have told Ha’aretz. As the High Court hearing on Migron resumes today, members of the outpost plan to argue that it was built on land purchased in part by Jews, contrary to the state’s announcement that it was private Palestinian land. Palestinians who claim ownership of the outpost land petitioned the High Court, along with the Peace Now movement. In its much delayed reply to the petition, the state told the court last month that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Defense Minister Ehud Barak have decided to remove the outpost by August.
The state’s reply says Migron was built on Palestinian land. But the two Migron founders, Itai Harel and Shuki Sat, as well as outpost secretary Avi Teksler claim that half of Migron’s lands were bought by Jews through the El Watan company, which is controlled by Migron residents. Harel and Sat also maintain that Sharon knew about the outpost's establishment. Sat says that in 2002 Sharon complained to settler leaders that the outpost's trailers were not placed at the highest point on the hill, and during official discussions even said that “Migron is a clear example of an outpost that has strategic importance from a security standpoint—one that must not be removed.” Sat and Harel present documents purportedly demonstrating that in 2002 and 2003 Ben Eliezer approved the process of planning and permits for Migron, including moving forward on buying land there, which the settlers initiated, as well as steps to include Migron in the jurisdiction of the nearby settlement Kochav Yaakov. . . .
The rural building administration for the Jerusalem district (a branch of the Housing and Construction Ministry) transferred more than $1 million for setting up Migron’s infrastructure—including water, electricity and sewage—and another $200,000 for building a synagogue, day care center and kindergarten. The [documents] also contain the detailed master plan for Migron as a neighborhood of 500 housing units on 890 dunams of land. This plan was prepared and paid for by the Housing Ministry, and states that the landholder is the Custodian of Absentee Property in Judea and Samaria.
Nadav Shargai, Ha’aretz, February 5, 2008
—————————————
| Previous Article | Next Article |