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Israel Dismantles West Bank Settlement Outpost
KOKHAV HASHAHAR, West Bank - Israeli police said they razed a tiny Jewish settlement outpost in the West Bank on Thursday in what media called a gesture to US President Barack Obama after his talks with Israel's prime minister.
A Jewish settler (R) shouts at border police officers after the demolition of the Maoz Esther outpost near the Jewish settlement of Kokhav Hashahar, northeast of the West Bank city of Ramallah, May 21, 2009. Israeli police broke up an unauthorized settler outpost in the occupied West Bank on Thursday, bulldozing makeshift cabins, police said. (REUTERS/Baz Ratner) "We dismantled seven tin huts," said police spokesman Danny Peleg, specifying that the outpost had been built without government authorisation.
No violence was reported as police, backed by army troops, evacuated settlers from the Maoz Ester outpost, near the Kokhav Hashahar settlement east of Ramallah, the political capital of the West Bank.
The international community considers all settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory illegal, while Israel considers as illegal only the outposts, often just a few hundred meters away from larger settlements, built without Israeli government authorisation.
Obama told right-wing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during White House talks on Monday that Israel should stop all settlement activity, in line with its commitments at peace negotiations.
"Evacuating illegal outposts in the West Bank is expected to be the Netanyahu government's first gesture toward Obama and the Palestinian Authority," the Haaretz daily said, linking Thursday's operation to the talks in Washington.
Netanyahu and Defence Minister Ehud Barak have agreed on a plan to evacuate illegal outposts in the West Bank, the newspaper said.
On Wednesday Defence Minister Ehud Barak told a delegation of settler leaders Israel would uphold the law and evacuate any illegal settlements.
The settlers met Barak to protest what they claim is a continuation of a West Bank settlement "construction freeze."
Israeli settlements in the West Bank are among the main obstacles in the stumbling peace talks with the Palestinians.
Israel reiterated at the 2007 Annapolis, Maryland peace conference it would freeze the activity but Israel's anti-settlement Peace Now movement says that 1,518 new structures were built in settlements and outposts in 2008, compared to 898 structures in 2007.
Peace Now says more than 280,000 people live in 120 settlements and about 100 outposts in the West Bank.
34 Comments so far
Show AllIt's not a "settlement outpost" it's stolen and occupied land.
no kidding.....why on earth would ANY settlement outpost be "authorized" anyway???? figures the poor schmucks with the tin roof shacks are made an example of rather than the mcmansion types with their swimming pools. less political fallout for the true moloch believers.
We can debate this issue forever whether or not Israel is an occupying force. However, we need to accept that neither side will back down therefore the best way to settle this is to prevent further expansion by Israel and to convince the new Palestinian government to seek self sufficiency and stop relying on Israel for all support. If the surrounding Muslim nations really want to help Palestinians open up trade with them and allow them to work in the surrounding Muslim nations. But opposing one side for another is not the way to go.
To convince the new Palestinian government to seek self sufficiency and stop relying on Israel for all support? That's like telling prisoners to stop relying on the prison for support, or a hostage to stop relying on his hostage-keeper for support. Palestinians want nothing more than "self-sufficiency", but Israel - with its US-funded military machine - sees to it that the Palestinians' most basic human rights and elemental necessities are physically obstructed. This popular conception (in the US especially) that the evenhanded stance to take on the Israel-Palestinian conflict is "both sides are equally to blame for the present situation" couldn't be further from reality. A fair evaluation of the situation should make it very clear that there is a victim and a transgressor, though the roles are reversed with regard to the portrayals espoused by the mainstream media.
So push the oil-rich Arab states to help the Palestinians. Why shouldn't they? Instead of offering armies and weapons to help the Palestinians, they can offer money and fund construction of needed infrastructure, schools, etc.
First, its important to note that Hamas, which is the democratically-elected government of Palestine, DOES use the overwhelming majority of its funds for precisely the kinds of projects you are suggesting. To offer an excerpt from a publication by the US' own Council on Foreign Relations: 'Hamas devotes much of its estimated $70-million annual budget to an extensive social services network. Indeed, the extensive social and political work done by Hamas - and its reputation among Palestinians as averse to corruption - partly explain its defeat of the Fatah old guard in the 2006 legislative vote. Hamas funds schools, orphanages, mosques, healthcare clinics, soup kitchens, and sports leagues. "Approximately 90 percent of its work is in social, welfare, cultural, and educational activities," writes the Israeli scholar Reuven Paz.'
So this gives you a small taste of just how fallacious and biased most of the US coverage is. With regard to the "oil-rich Arab states", the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs claims that some of the main financial support for Palestine comes from: "1) Gulf States - A considerable proportion of the aforementioned funds originate from various sources in the Gulf States (The Gulf Cooperation Council States). Most of the funding is from Saudi Arabian sources, with a total value of $12 million a year. 2) Iran - Its contribution is estimated at $3 million a year.
3) Charitable associations in the Territories - Funds are raised for the Hamas through the mosques and through charity associations and foundations."
So to a certain degree, what you've suggested is already occurring and has been for some time. However, there are serious complications which prevent many "oil-rich Arab states" from allocating funds to Palestine. The most important of which is the fact that the US/UK/Israel have labeled Hamas as a terrorist organization. So the assumption that "the oil-rich Arab states" can freely funnel substantial amounts of capital into public projects in Palestine is misguided. Since Hamas is the government of Palestine, all funding must go through Hamas. In the selective eyes of the US government, this means that those Arab states which lend monetary support to Palestine are "funding terrorism" and will likely be reprimanded with damaging economic sanctions and possibly added to the "State Sponsors of Terrorism" list. So the Palestinians are in quite a quandary. Needless to mention the fact that much of the progress made in construction of schools/facilities and infrastructure was completely demolished by the Israeli Defense Force during Israel's brutal attack last December which resulted in 1,500 Palestinian casualties.
The only way anything of significance can be resolved in the Palestinian territories is if Israel chooses it(or is pressured by the US, which funds an enormous portion of the Israeli military with US taxpayer dollars). There is really no way around it.
I am aware that Hamas funds social services, which is probably a main factor in why they won the elections. I was not really talking about in the present time, but at the time Palestine becomes an independent state...the oil states should pony up enough money to rehabilitate it, and of course Israel and the U.S. should as well through reparations and compensation for destroyed and former homes.
Re pablo30 May 21st, 2009 10:07 am
Perhaps you could use your great powers of persuasion to get Israel to end the lockdown of the occupied territories; then Palestinians could conceivably "work in the surrounding Muslim nations" as you so generously offer.
Have you forgotten about the Apartheid Wall and the 600 checkpoints in the WB as well as the Israeli blockade of Gaza?
Dear pablo30-
There is no debate. They are called the "Occupied Territories" because they are being occupied by the dominant culture in that region - the Israelis.
It's stolen land. Cut and dried. If you consider "debate" to be presenting opinion, then I understand you better.
To suggest that 3rd world peasants who are being interned, and displaced,are somhow a force that is in any shape size or form able stand up to the IDF is ludicrous. To suggest that there are two sides who are merely in disagreement is to ignore the facts. This is ethnic cleasing, some pages taken straight out of the Nazis tactics. Some pages taken straight out of The USA's.
A good read on the subject is Noam Chomsky's, "The Fateful Triangle".
The facts are that "settlements" in the occupied territories are not within the borders of Israel.Period. They have crossed the borders and in many many instances "razed" palestinian homes, farms, villages, and built their own dwellings, towns, etc right on top of the land that for centuries have been home to Arab peoples.
Yeah sure. Stopping "expansion" is a nice gesture. Called me jaded, but this is not the first "construction freeze" in the past 60 years in the occupied territories. I fully expect business as usual to continue shortly.
I hope I'm wrong. But in looking at the facts historically, it could be said that this is business as usual.
Thanks.
-Glen
Call it anything you like. Won't change a thing. Unless Israel and the Arab and Muslim nations can come to some agreement I expect the fighting will break out by the end of the year or certainly by next year.
Israel's excuse is, they cannot be allowed to elect Hamas.
The media demonizes Hamas to the point that MOST people swallow the party lies!
So, let me get this straight. Israel dismantles one settlement, that has 7 huts, out of tens of dozens of other settlements and that makes news? I suppose it is in the catagory of 'man bites dog' but really, just because the gov't of Israel tore down a few outhouses doesn't mean they've had a change of heart. Nor does it mean that Obama had any real effect on the construction of other 'illegal' settlements.
* Israel dismantles tiny settlement amid US tensions:
Israeli police have dismantled an illegal Jewish outpost in the West Bank in an apparent goodwill gesture to the Obama administration with which Tel Aviv has a rift.
* Israel to US: We reserve 'right' to bomb Iran:
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has told the Obama administration that Tel Aviv “reserves itself operational freedom” on Iran, according to an aide.
* Israeli PM says Jerusalem will never be divided:
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday that Jerusalem would "never be divided" and would remain the capital of the Jewish state, drawing an angry response from the Palestinians.
Why is our government aiding and abeting this terrorist state?
Because the United States is presently the biggest terrorist state of all.
Humbaba: "Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has told the Obama administration that Tel Aviv “reserves itself operational freedom” on Iran."
Tel-Aviv is a city in Israel without any capability to bomb anyone. How can Tel-Aviv bomb Iran? Using city police?
I think you're lying and Netanyahu never said that Tel-Aviv reserve the right to bomb Iran.
Perhapse Boston will bomb Iraq.
We've been through this before...
Tel Aviv is the capitol of Israel...
Washington DC is the Capitol of the USA...
It is a journalistic device to refer to the capitol city when describing the actions of a nation-state...
It is a jingoistic device for Bibi to refer to Jerusalem as the Capitol of Israel now and forever...
GoldenMean: "Tel Aviv is the capital of Israel..."
Tel Aviv is not the capital of israel. At least not since 1949. Each country can chose its own capital.
USA have chosen Washington. (Moved from Philadelphia in 1799)
Israel have chosen Jerusalem. (Moved from Tel-Aviv in 1949)
Here is what's written in Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerusalem
"Jerusalem ... is the capital of Israel"
Here is what the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs say:
http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/MFA+Publications/
Photo+exhibits/Jerusalem+-+Capital+of+Israel.htm
"Jerusalem - Capital of Israel."
[Tel Aviv is not the capital of israel. At least not since 1949]
Tel Aviv is where all the embassies of other countries in Israel are, Israel might have decided to move it's capital, but no one has recognised that move.
Israel had moved its capital to Jerusalem in 1949. Not just "might have decided" but "decided and moved".
The rest of the world has not recognised that such a move occured. As far as the gov't of the usa, canada, GB, France, Russia, and every other country that recognises that the state of Israel exists is concerned, the capital of Israel is Tel Aviv. Their embassies are located where? Who has a national embassy in Jerusalem?
Saturnalia: "The rest of the world has not recognised that such a move occured As far as the gov't of the usa, canada, GB, France, Russia, and every other country that recognises that the state of Israel exists is concerned, the capital of Israel is Tel Aviv."
The United States Jerusalem Embassy Act, passed by Congress on October 23, 1995 asserts that every country has a right to designate the capital of its choice, and that Israel has designated Jerusalem.
Since 1995, the relocation of the embassy from Tel Aviv has been suspended by the President semi-annually, each time stating that "[the] Administration remains committed to beginning the process of moving our embassy to Jerusalem". As a result of the Embassy Act, official U.S. documents and web sites refer to Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerusalem_Embassy_Act
The usa isn't the whole world dear.
Besides, according to the us gov't the us embassy for Israel is located at
U.S. Embassy, Israel
71 Hayarkon Street
Tel Aviv
No matter what Wiki says, where the actual embassy is is what matters. From the official pov of the us gov't their embassy is in Tel Aviv, not Jerusalem. From the pov of the whole world, the capital of Israel is Tel Aviv.
Fact is, should the us gov't be stupid enough to move it's embassy to Jerusalem they'd be launching an all out war against all the middle east nations who'd be quite pissed by that kind of decision. Canada tried to move it's embassy under Clark back in '79, the reaction wasn't positive, and our embassy is still in Tel Aviv.
I never said the US is the whole world. I just said the US government officially recognizes Jerusalem as Israel's capital. (Even though the embassy have not yet moved to Jerusalem)
A capital city is the principal city or town associated with its government (I'll say it again, government, not foreign embassies). The Israeli Government seat, the Prime Minister's office, the President, the Knesset (Parliament), the Supreme court, and most government functions and offices are located in Jerusalem . Also, the Israeli law designates Jerusalem as Israel’s capital since December 1949.
And unless you're willing to use millitary force to force Israel to move its government seat to a city of your choice, you won't be able to change it.
Here is the definition of (Political) capital.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capital_(political)
… a city which physically encompasses the offices and meeting places of the seat of government and fixed by law.
See, my dear? Nothing to do with recognition of other countries or embassies.
Even 'Humbaba', a strong anti-Israeli advocate, on his post from "May 21st, 2009 7:24 pm'" is bringing a quote from a Chinese news agency who recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital.
[I never said the US is the whole world. I just said the US government officially recognizes Jerusalem as Israel's capital. (Even though the embassy have not yet moved to Jerusalem)]
No, the us gov't doesn't recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. The us embassy of Western Germany was in Bonn 30 years ago, when Germany was unified the us embassy promptly moved to Berlin. So, if the us gov't really does recognise the capital of Israel as Jerusalem, why haven't they moved their embassy to that city in over 40 years?
There is a difference between what Israel says and what other countries say. What the press reports is not relavent in this case. The only way Jerusalem is going to be recognised as the Capital of Israel is if the Palistinians recognise it as such first. No other country on earth is going to act before the Palistinians do, quite the achievement for a stateless people, no?
Saturnalia: "No, the us gov't doesn't recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel."
According to the definition of Capital city, Capital is where the government seat is. In Israel, the government seat is in Jerusalem. End of story.
Even if many countries don't recognise that, Israel’s government is placed in Jerusalem.
Not that it makes any difference, but your claim that the USA doesn't recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s Capital simply isn’t true; you should check the US law, and not just the current physical location of the embassy.
The United States Jerusalem Embassy Act, passed by Congress in 1995, recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. As a result of the Embassy Act, all official U.S. documents and web sites refer to Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
Here is what the CIA facebook on Israel say:
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/is.html
Capital: name: Jerusalem
I'm amused by your willful blindness to what I've argued. It's like you don't understand, or just don't want to understand what I've said.
Why, if the us gov't is willing to move the embassy from Bonn to Berlin, haven't they moved the embassy from Tel Aviv? Is Tel Aviv that much further than the distance from Bonn to Berlin?
I bet I could look thru every capital city on earth and find that in all but Israel the us embassy is in the capital city. So, why hasn't the us moved their embassy to Jerusalem? Even under a radical nut like bush, the embassy wasn't moved, why not?
If it really doesn't matter where the embassy is, why isn't the us embassy where the capital is?
Tin huts? Every jewish settlement I've seen (via google satellite imagery) is composed of posh mcmansions or condos -many with swimming pools in the back.
The only tin huts Iv;e seen are the Palestinian homes down in the rocky ravines and hillsides between the settlements.
One outpost taken down for the cameras while thousands of housing units go up on stolen land. You have to give it to the Israel, they're the masters of manipulation and public relations.
JERUSALEM, May 21 (Xinhua) -- Just hours after being evacuated by Israeli security forces, the West Bank outpost of Maoz Esther was being rebuilt on Thursday by Jewish settlers who returned to the site of their dismantled homes, local news service Ynet reported.
I'm not impressed by the demolition of seven tin huts.
The Palestinians are the truly ones who should be on the land that were there before the greedy jews took over, and stole the land. The Jews want all the Arab lands, especially Iran, and will do anything to gain what they so demand.
It is unfortunate that you evidently make no distinction between "the Jews" and "the Israelis". The majority of the world's Jews do not live in Israel. Condemning an entire people for the actions of one small country is undue, to say the least. Besides, it is the imperial powers that are funding Israel's violence and it is the imperial powers who are most interested in Arab land.
"It is unfortunate that you evidently make no distinction between "the Jews" and "the Israelis"
I agree with you here....