UK foreign minister reprimands Israel over settlements
In this posting, 1) report from Ma’an news; 2) press release from the FCO; 3) report on the new settlement plans from Americans for Peace Now.
Satellite hilltop settlements recently built around the 1984 settlement, Eli, in the centre of the West Bank.
UK condemns Israeli settlement plans
By Ma’an news
July 29, 2015
BETHLEHEM — The British Foreign Office on Wednesday condemned Israeli settlement plans announced last week and called on the Israeli government to drop them.
Tobias Ellwood, the UK’s minister for the Middle East, said in a statement: “The UK is deeply concerned by reports that planning for 1,065 settlement units is being advanced, including possible retrospective approval of buildings built without permits or on private Palestinian land.”
A settlement watchdog said last week that the Israeli Civil Administration had approved 1,065 housing units in eight different settlements across occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank.
The approval extended to 228 already existing housing units built in settlements, as well as 541 new housing units yet to be constructed and an infrastructure plan connecting 296 housing units.
Ellwood said: “We call on the Israeli government to discard these plans and refrain from such steps. Every settlement announcement has a negative impact on prospects for peace and a negotiated solution.”
He added: “The UK’s position on Israeli settlements is clear: they are illegal under international law and undermine the prospects for a two-state solution.”
Over the last two decades, Jewish settlements have expanded rapidly across the West Bank and East Jerusalem and have severely constrained the possibility of a contiguous Palestinian state.
The Israeli government provides more than 500,000 settlers with roads, electricity, water, and sewage systems that remain inaccessible to many neighbouring Palestinians.
While the international community has been vocal in its condemnation of Israeli settlement activity, it has taken few steps to pressure Israel into ceasing the enterprise.
FCO Minister comments on Israeli plans to build settlement units
Press release, FCO
July 28, 2015
Minister for the Middle East Tobias Ellwood expresses concern about the latest development, underlines the UK’s position on Israeli settlements and calls on the Israeli Government to refrain from such steps.
Mr Ellwood said:
The UK is deeply concerned by reports that planning for 1,065 settlement units is being advanced, including possible retrospective approval of buildings built without permits or on private Palestinian land. The UK’s position on Israeli settlements is clear: they are illegal under international law and undermine the prospects for a two-state solution. We call on the Israeli Government to discard these plans and refrain from such steps. Every settlement announcement has a negative impact on prospects for peace and a negotiated solution.
Peace Now – Settlement Watch News Flash: Advancement of 1065 Housing Units in the Settlements
By Americans for Peace Now
July 23, 2015
The sub-committee for settlements of the higher planning committee of the military’s Civil Administration met yesterday to discuss 15 plans, at various planning stages and in different settlements. In total, the committee discussed plans that regard 1,065 housing units. Of these housing units, the plan approved 541 new housing units, retroactively legalized 228 existing housing units, and approved the development of infrastructure for a plan that consists of 296 housing units, while further approval will be needed before construction of the housing units can begin.
According to the committee, the plans that were approved were either for the retroactive legalization of housing units that have been constructed in the past, for corrected plans that were approved in the past but needed technical adjustments, or for plans that do not include residential housing units.
However, for four of the plans, that regard approximately 541 housing units, yesterday’s approvals by the committee were necessary in order for construction to begin. Indeed, just as the committee claims, these plans received approvals in the past, but the plans could not commence without the further approvals that were granted yesterday by the committee. In other words, without yesterday’s approvals these 541 housing units could not built.
A Jewish settler dreams of growth as he gazes at the illegal settlement in the E1 area
Of these three plans that were approved, one was for 24 housing units, in two buildings, at Bet El settlement, commonly known as the Dreinoff buildings. These buildings are built on private Palestinian lands and are supposed to be demolished by the end of this month after a ruling by the Supreme Court, in a case issued by Yesh Din. In recent weeks settler groups have put heavy pressure on the government, including numerous demonstrations throughout the West Bank, not to demolish the buildings. Following yesterday’s approval of the plan, the State is expected to request the Supreme Court to reverse its ruling.
Two other plans that were approved were for 381 housing units at Givat Ze’ev and 112 housing units at Ma’ale Adumim. These plans received approvals in the past, in June 2014 and May 2013 respectively, however, construction did not go forward because the plans required some adjustments in order for construction to begin. A fourth plan that was approved regarded 27 housing units at Bet Arie. To the best of our knowledge, 3 houses of the plan have already been built and the remaining 24 houses required further approvals of their plans in order to commence. Approvals for these plans were given yesterday.
The committee also approved plans that retroactively legalize construction that has already been completed. These plans include 179 housing units at Beit Arie, 24 housing units at Psagot, and 22 housing units at Givon HaHadasha.
In addition the committee also discussed an additional plan at Beit El that consists of 296 housing units. This plan is part of a compensation package that was given to the settlers after the demolition of several buildings at the Ulpana outpost in 2014. While the plan is not officially valid (publication of the validation is still needed), nor is it ready for construction (archaeological digging is taking place) the committee approved to proceed with construction for parts of the plan that regard development and infrastructure at the site. Construction of the 296 housing will need further validation. The reason behind this procedure is pressure by the Ministry of Defence to commence with the plan.
The committee also approved the construction of a religious school (Yeshiva) near Neve Daniel, a settlement near Bethlehem, and 2 industrial structures at Karnei Shomron, a settlement West of Qalqilya and East of Nablus. In addition, the committee also approved a winery at Kiryat Arba settlement.
Finally, recent media publications reported that last week the Finance Minister, Moshe Kahlon, approved the construction of two new roads that will bypass Hawara, a Palestinian town south of Nablus, and El-Aroub, a Palestinian refugee camp south of Bethlehem. The construction of both these roads will allow easier and much quicker travel to the settlements. Other bypass roads that were established in the past, like the bypass roads of Bethlehem (from the West of Bethlehem that leads to Gush Etzion settlements and from the East of Bethlehem that leads to Tkoa and Nokdim settlements, also known as the Lieberman road) have contributed significantly to the growth and development of the settlements. As such, settler groups have lobbied furiously for the approval of these two additional roads. Last year it was revealed that the settlers had introduced a document demanding the construction of these roads, among other demands. At the time, then the Minister of Finance, Yair Lapid, disapproved the demands claiming that they are too expensive. Now, with the new government in place, the approval for the roads has been granted.
[A full list of the planned settlements follows this article. Click headline to read.]