Welcome to FMEP’s Weekly Settlement Report, covering everything you need to know about Israeli settlement activity this week.

To subscribe to this report, please click here.

October 4, 2024

1. U.S. Imposes Sanctions on “Hilltop Youth” Settler Terror Group & Two Individuals
2. Prominent U.S. Senators Call for Biden Admin to Sanction Amana Settler Group
3. Settlers Push Settlement of South Lebanon, Advertising Houses & Calling for Conquest
4. 2024 Olive Harvest Season Set to Begin Amidst Concerns Israel, Settlers Will Prevent Access
5. Bonus Reads

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U.S. Imposes Sanctions on “Hilltop Youth” Settler Terror Group & Two Individuals

On October 1st the United States announced sanctions on the “Hilltop Youth” settler groups along with two individuals – Eitan Yarden and Avichai Suissa.

The violent, extremist, fundamentalist Hilltop Youth settler group  – dubbed the “Jewish ISIS” – operates out of the Yitzhar settlement in the northern region of the West Bank, near Nablus, and there has been no shortage of documentation over the years of their terrorism of Palestinian communities in the region and their involvement in establishing new outposts. The State Department asserted:

“[the Hilltop Youth are] a violent extremist group that has rampaged through Palestinian communities in the West Bank.  It has carried out killings, mass arson, and other so-called “price tag” attacks to exact revenge and intimidate Palestinian civilians.  Hilltop Youth has repeatedly clashed with the Israeli military when it tries to counter Hilltop Youth’s destructive activities.”

The “Hilltop Youth” are not a pariah group at odds with the Israeli state. Last year , +972 Magazine revealed that the IDF had actually created a specific unit for members of the Hilltop Youth and outpost groups to serve in, a unit which has been involved in violent attacks on Palestinians across the Jordan Valley. Further, the IDF recruits members of the Hilltop Youth also recruited to serve in the IDF’s Netzah Yehuda battalion, which has been accused of gross violations of human rights but which the U.S. has decided not enforce its own law against supplying arms to such problematic groups even after a lengthy investigation.

In 2023, Haaretz revealed that the Jewish National Fund has given $1million to organizations which provide support and services to the “Hilltop Youth,” including a project meant to offer professional training to Hilltop Youth (who are mostly highschool dropouts) living in illegal West Bank outposts.

Prominent U.S. Senators Call for Biden Admin to Sanction Amana Settler Group

In a letter to U.S.Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellin dated September 27th, three prominent Democratic Senators called for more sanctions on extremist settlers, specifically calling for the Amana organization to be sanctioned. Unlike the Hilltop Youth (which  the U.S. sanctioned this week), the Amana organization is deeply intertwined with the entire settlement enterprise in both legal and illegal (under Israeli law) ways. Amana is influential in the realm of settler political leadership, very well financed, owns and develops a large portfolio of land in the West Bank for settlements and outposts. Senators wrote:

“Amana has a long and well-documented history of supporting extremist settlers who expropriate Palestinian land and threaten Palestinian landholders, farmers, and shepherds. Amana has played a central role in forming and sustaining hill-top outposts illegal under Israeli law, often by granting loans to bankroll their start. These outposts have since become bases of operation for settler violence against Palestinians, with those resident settlers burning olive groves and homes; stealing livestock; diverting water supplies; blocking roads in and out of villages; and intimidating and threatening villagers from accessing or returning to their land. These outposts contribute to the attacks on and sometimes even killing of Palestinians on their own land or while traveling through the West Bank…We therefore urge you to continue to designate for sanctions those individuals and entities who are undermining peace and stability in the West Bank, to include the Amana organization.”

A U.S. government source told The Times of Israel that Amana has already been considered in past rounds of sanctions. Leaders of Amana have been working hard to dissuade the U.S. from imposing sanctions on the organization, fearing the severe and far-reaching implications U.S. sanctions would have. The Canadian government sanctioned Amana in June, but it is widely understood U.S. sanctions are a standard bearer for the sanctions regimes of EU countries and much more consequential in world banking systems.

Peace Now describes Amana:

“This organization is one of the strongest settler organizations financially, politically, and in terms of its influence on the establishment of settlements and outposts in the Occupied Territories. With assets valued at approximately NIS 600 million, and an annual budget of tens of millions of NIS, Amana is considered the ‘mother and father’ of the illegal outposts, and in recent years also of the illegal agricultural farms that are a major factor in settler violence against Palestinians. Peace Now revealed Amana’s central role in taking over land and in the construction of illegal outposts in our 2017 report ‘Unraveling the Mechanism behind Illegal Outposts’…Amana is also involved in the establishment of farms that have been subject to international sanctions because of violence against Palestinians. For example, Amana was a key partner in the establishment of Meitarim Farm (Yinon Levy’s farm), one of the first to be imposed international sanctions after four communities of hundreds of Palestinians were expelled following violence by settlers who came from the direction of the farm.”

Settlers Push Settlement of South Lebanon, Advertising Houses & Calling for Conquest

The movement to establish Israeli settlements in south Lebanon continues to gain steam in the wake of Israel’s invasion of southern Lebanon and orders to evacuate Lebanese towns in the area. 

Middle East Eye reports that the new Israeli settler group – Uri Tzafon – pushing for the Israeli government to settle southern Lebanon has published flyers advertising homes for sale across the Israeli border, in sovereign Lebanese territory. The advertisement reads:

“After the elimination of the Hezbollah leadership…do you also dream of a big house, a view of snowy mountains and a warm community in the land of our ancestors?”

The group has about 3,000 members communicating in a WhatsApp group, offering suggestions to rename Lebanese towns once they are conquered and emptied. Members of the group also sent balloons into Lebanon with threatening messages

A senior rabbi published an op-ed in The Jerusalem Post calling for Israel to conquer southern Lebanon, claiming that it is Israel’s God-given land and saying Lebanese should be expelled from the area.

In a deep dive into Uri Tzafon and the push to settler southern Lebanon, Jewish Currents columnist Maya Rosen writes:

“It is tempting to dismiss Uri Tzafon as fringe. After all, even Israel’s far-right, ultra-nationalist ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir—proponents of war with Hezbollah as well as the military occupation of southern Lebanon—have not yet mentioned civilian settlements. And every policy expert I spoke with agreed that the chance that Israel would actually establish settlements in southern Lebanon is very low. Natasha Roth-Rowland, a scholar of the Israeli far right, explained that there simply isn’t the political will to advance settlements in Lebanon, especially when the Israeli military apparatus is so overstretched. And yet, experts warned me again and again that the movement to settle Lebanon ought not to be discounted lightly. “It’s easy to dismiss, because it’s so far removed from reality,” Makdisi told me. “But I don’t see this as fringe. It’s been in the political imagination forever, and it’s not going to go away.” Roth-Rowland agreed, noting that “there is a fairly well-established track record of even the most fringe parts of the Israeli settler movement becoming not so fringe over a period of decades or even years,” and pointing to the ways that the movement has succeeded in establishing and growing settlements, including, for example, the particularly violent one in the heart of the Palestinian city of Hebron. Many of the unauthorized outposts this movement has created have even been retroactively legalized, pointing to how, in Roth-Rowland’s words, “settlers have made political gains over the last several decades by outflanking the government from the right and forcing concessions.” In this context, experts noted that the mainstreaming of a group like Uri Tzafon could be more feasible than it first appears. “That’s how the settlement movement started,” said Israeli settlement historian Akiva Eldar. “They planted seeds, which grew into trees, which grew into a jungle.”

2024 Olive Harvest Season Set to Begin Amidst Concerns Israel, Settlers Will Prevent Access

The Israeli government is poised to block the beginning of the Palestinian olive harvest season from beginning. OCHA reports that the Palestinian Ministry of Agriculture announced that the annual olive harvest will begin on October 10th, but Israeli authorities – which police Palestinians’ access to their agricultural lands in Area C and in the Seam Zone – have set a later  dates for olive harvest, with dates between October 3 and 28 for different governorates across the West Bank. OCHA further reports:

“Initial reports suggest that, unlike 2023, Israeli authorities intend to allow farmers to gain access to their lands behind the Barrier, while access to lands near Israeli settlements remains uncertain.”

The human rights group HaMoked has led legal efforts to compel the Israeli army to permit Palestinians to access their privately owned land in the Seam Zone, the land between the 1967 Green Line and the Israeli-built Separation Barrier), and is currently engaged in litigation with the state on this matter. On October 1st, the State submitted its second response to HaMoked’s petition to provide access to agricultural lands, in which the State said that it intends to open the Seam Zone gates at the end of October or beginning of November, “subject to a situational security assessment.” These dates are well past the start of the olive harvest. 

HaMoked further reports:

“the State also made clear that permits will be granted on an individual basis, again subject to security assessments, in order to ‘prevent acts of terrorism.’ In previous years, over 10,000 Palestinians (extended families as well as hired workers) took part in harvesting olives on lands beyond the Separation Barrier. We know from years of experience that it takes weeks, at best, for Palestinians to navigate the Civil Administration’s very cumbersome permit application procedure. In short, the State’s response only strengthens our concern that they intend to allow only a very minimal olive harvest beyond the Barrier.

It is disappointing but not surprising that the State remains unwilling to allow Palestinian farmers to access their own lands on de facto annexed territory. There are many pressing issues facing Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories at this time. All the same, we want to ensure that in this chaotic time, the economic and food security, livelihoods, and centuries-old traditions of Palestinian farmers are not neglected.”

On September 25, the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights called on Israeli authorities to ensure the safety of Palestinian farmers and access to their lands, emphasizing the need to prevent a recurrence of last year’s restrictions and violence that devastated livelihoods.

OCHA writes:

“The annual olive harvest season is a key economic, social and cultural event for Palestinians. Last year’s harvest was particularly challenging due to significant movement restrictions and violence by Israeli forces and Israeli settlers that followed the 7 October attack on Israel. More than 96,000 dunums of olive-cultivated lands across the West Bank remained unharvested due to Israeli restrictions on Palestinian access. Consequently, according to the Food Security Sector, Palestinian farmers suffered an estimated total loss of more than 1,200 metric tons of olive oil in the 2023 season, resulting in a direct financial setback of US$10 million. The impact was particularly harsh in the northern governorates of Tulkarm, Qalqiliya and Nablus.

Access restrictions and widespread settler violence pose high risks and challenges for farmers during the olive harvest season, potentially undermining their livelihoods. The Protection Cluster, led by the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR), in coordination with OCHA, the Food Security Sector and humanitarian partners are preparing to support Palestinian farmers by providing coordinated protective presence in identified hotspots, documenting incidents of violence, and advocating for people’s rights during the season. Moreover, as part of its emergency response mechanism and 48-hour rapid response, the occupied Palestinian territory Humanitarian Fund (oPt HF) has allocated US$750,000 to support two local partners in preparation for the upcoming olive harvest season. These partners are implementing projects aimed at strengthening the resilience of farmers in rural communities. The specific objectives of these projects include the provision of essential tools and equipment, cleaning olive groves to reduce fire risks and prevent losses and improving olive oil storage facilities to ensure higher food quality.”

Bonus Reads

1. “Raised Stakes on All Fronts” (Geneva Intiative’s Two State Index)
2. “In the occupied West Bank, Palestinians struggle to access water” (NPR)

Welcome to FMEP’s Weekly Settlement Report, covering everything you need to know about Israeli settlement activity this week.

To subscribe to this report, please click here.

September 27, 2024

1. High Court Denies Request to Allow Zanuta to be Even Minimally Rehabilitate Village After Settler Destruction
2. Bimkom Report on Outpost Retroactive Authorization
3. Israeli Groups Release Report on Annexation
4. U.S. Congress Votes to Advance Bill that Labels Settlements As Israel, Greenlighting Annexation
5. Bonus Reads

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High Court Denies Request to Allow Zanuta to be Even Minimally Rehabilitate Village After Settler Destruction

On September 18th, the human rights group Haqel filed an urgent appeal to the Israel High Court of Justice on behalf of the residents of Zanuta seeking permission to undertake minor construction in order to make the village inhabitable again. Settlers damaged, destroyed, and ransacked every building in the village after residents fled the village on October 28, 2023 under rampant and unmitigated settler terrorism. 

In response, the Court said the residents are not allowed to undertake any building in their village because the entire area is an Israeli-designated archaeological site. When Haqel submitted its appeal it had included an expert legal opinion, including an archaeological expert who informed the Court that there is no archaeological obstacle to allowing the residents to rebuild structures to status quo ante. The opinion – which is signed by five renowned Israeli international law experts – goes on to conclude “we are of the opinion that the actions taken by the authorities towards the residents of the village of Zenuta constitute a forcible transfer of the residents from their village.”

In past hearings, the Court has suggested to the residents of Zanuta that in light of their plight and the prohibition on building in their village, they have the option to move to a new area of land approximately 2.5km north, a patch of land that abuts the borders of Areas A and B – – a convenient location for the State of Israel and its settlers who have moved to annex Area C and clear it of Palestinians. 

Breaking the Silence said in a statement:

“The case of Khirbet Zanuta holds enormous symbolic importance in that the success or failure of the residents’ return will set an important precedent for many of the other villages that have been forcibly expelled. We urge stakeholders and people in positions of influence in the international community to act decisively, to apply pressure to the Israeli authorities with regards to allowing for reconstruction of the village (with the pre-October status quo as the relevant reference point for ‘new’ construction) without fear of the authorities demolishing homes or confiscating equipment, as well as law enforcement against the violent settlers who are intent on making it impossible for residents to live there.”

Bimkom Report on Outpost Retroactive Authorization

Bimkom: Planners for Human Rights released a report this past February entitled, “Connection to infrastructure and establishment of public buildings in outposts included in legalization processes.” The report dismantles any notion of legality behind the Israeli governments stated plan to retroactively authorize 70 outposts, as announced in February 2024. Bimkom also surveys its legal, planning, and economic consequences. Bimkom writes:

“It [the report] shows that the planning procedure is nothing more than a cover for de facto regularization of the outposts, since in the vast majority of cases the most basic conditions for advancing regularization are not met.”

Israeli Groups Release Report on Annexation

The Association for Civil Rights in Israel, Breaking the Silence, Ofek, and Yesh Din’ just published an English translation of its July 2024 report, “A Silent Takeover: Changing the Nature of Israeli Control of the West Bank.” It’s summary reads:

“The Government of Israel is methodically implementing a strategy designed to achieve the political vision of applying full Israeli sovereignty to the West Bank, while establishing a reality of Jewish supremacy and forcing the Palestinians living in the Area into to the smallest possible geographical space. 

Many of the government’s steps alter the face of the West Bank and the structure of Israeli control there, including:

 > Appointing MK Smotrich as the Additional Minister in the Ministry of Defense and transferring broad powers from the Military Commander to MK Smotrich

 > Approving immense budgets for expanding the Israeli settlements in the West Bank and improving infrastructure and quality of life there

 > Retroactively authorizing Israeli outposts

 > Declaring state land and nature preserves

 > Denying settler violence and not enforcing the law

 > Abusing Palestinian communities, leading to their forced expulsion from their homes.

This current government is stripping off the mask that Israeli governments have insofar worn. For years, it presented Israel as a regime in the Occupied Palestinian Territories that upholds the legal obligations incumbent upon it in the West Bank, and whose administration’s decisions are subject to judicial review by the Israeli Supreme Court. The government’s policy now openly seeks to apply Israeli sovereignty and reinforce Jewish supremacy in the West Bank.”

U.S. Congress Votes to Advance Bill that Labels Settlements As Israel, Greenlighting Annexation

FMEP’s Lara Friedman reports that the U.S. House of Representatives has voted to pass a bill that calls for the U.S. to label any/all products from coming from Israeli settlement as “Made in Israel.” Called the “Anti-BDS Labeling Act” (HR 5179) the bill gives a greenlight to Israel’s de facto annexation of the settlements. It passed by a vote of 231-189, with all Republicans plus 16 Democrats voting in favor.

HR 5179 was introduced by Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-NY), who was visited by a delegation of Israeli advocates headed by Yossi Dagan, the head of a settler regional council and longtime pro-settlement advocate. In press coverage of the meeting, Israel Hayom reports that Tenney and Dagan agreed to collaborate on advancing another bill, which Tenney introduced in March 2024, that would mandate the U.S. government to adopt “Judea and Samaria” as official terminology instead of “West Bank.”  That bill, according to Friedman, has seen no action since it was introduced.

Opposing HR5179, Rep. Nadler (D-NY) – posted a video on X saying:

“This bill isn’t about combatting BDS—it’s about attempting to green light Israeli annexation of Area C of the West Bank and undermining the Biden-Harris’ Administration’s delicate negotiations to end the Israel-Hamas war.”

Friedman explains:

“As has always been the case in this battle over how to label the place-of-origin of settlement products, the argument behind HR 5179 boils down to: (1) if people know that a product was produced in a settlement, some will likely choose NOT to buy the product, in a decision that reflects their personal opposition to Israeli occupation/settlements; (2) such an action by an individual consumer, as an expression of their own deeply-held values, is a form of BDS and as such is antisemitic, anti-Israel; (3) the U.S. government, as part of its support for its ally Israel, must implement policies that in effect establish special place-of-origin rules for Israel [i.e., hold Israel to a different standard than the rest of the world] that protect Israel/settlements; (4) These Israel-specific rules-of-origin must ensure that U.S. consumers who might want to make an informed decision with respect to purchasing or not purchasing settlement products are prevented from doing so — in this case, by depriving them of accurate place-of-origin data; and (5) Failure to implement/enact policies that in effect prevent US consumers making informed decisions with respect to whether or not they wish to purchase settlements products is antisemitic, anti-Israel, and a form of BDS.”

Bonus Reads

1. “The U.S. Must Sanction Israel’s Messianic Ministers – and American Jews Should Welcome It” (Haaretz)
2. “Movement and Access in the West Bank | September 2024” (OCHA)

 

Welcome to FMEP’s Weekly Settlement Report, covering everything you need to know about Israeli settlement activity this week.

To subscribe to this report, please click here.

September 20, 2024

1. Israeli Supreme Court Orders Immediate Eviction in East Jerusalem, Fears of Mass Expulsion Grow
2. Residents of Zanuta Return to Land to Find Destruction, Israel “Offers” Permanent Displacement as Solution
3. UN Adopts on Resolution Calling for Israel to End Illegal Occupation of Palestinian Territory
4. Blinken Calls on Israel to Changes Rules of Engagement in the West Bank
5. Bonus Reads

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Israeli Supreme Court Orders Immediate Eviction in East Jerusalem, Fears of Mass Expulsion Grow

On September 10th, the Israeli Supreme Court unanimously rejected a final appeal submitted by the Ghaith family (15 people), affirming the District Court’s ruling to evict the family from their longtime home in favor of the Ateret Cohanim settler organization. The Ghaith family was ordered by the Court to immediately leave their home located in the Batan al-Hawa section of the Silwan neighborhood of East Jerusalem, where 85 families face dispossession (details). Underscoring the struggle Palestinians face in Silwan to remain in their homes and on their land,  in addition to the eviction cases threatening mass displacement,  Israel is also carrying out an accelerated demolition campaign targeting Palestinians in Silwan over the past year.

Ir Amim reports that since October 7th there has been a dramatic spike in court decisions to evict Palestinians at the behest of settlers, with 14 families having been dispossessed in the past six months – including the Shehadeh family who were dispossessed of their home just one month ago. More – this is the second major case in the past two months that has seen a Palestinian family thrown out of their homes in Silwan – – setting an increasingly entrenched precedent for the cases that are still pending. All of these cases hinge on the settlers’ use of the discriminatory law (the 1970 Legal and Administrative Matters law) and the Court’s continued acceptance of that law as a weapon by which to replace Palestinians with Jews. The law provides a right for Jews to reclaim property that was owned prior to 1948, but abandoned during war. Palestinians are provided no such right and further, as Ir Amim explains, “to the contrary, the 1950 Absentee Property Law enshrines that Palestinians who were forced to abandon their homes and lands in what became Israel after the war of 1948 can never retrieve them.”

Ir Amim writes:

“Although the Israeli government often characterize these cases as private real estate disputes, they are rather part and parcel of a systematic campaign aimed to cement Israeli control over the Old City Basin, the most religiously and politically sensitive part of Jerusalem. These measures are reinforced by a constellation of settler-operated tourist sites, which together, serve to alter the character of the space and forge a ring of Israeli control around the Old City. This creates an irreversible reality on the ground that deliberately erodes conditions for an agreed political resolution on Jerusalem and the rest of the territory. Such actions severely violate the individual and collective rights of Palestinians in the city, while carrying an acute humanitarian impact on the affected families.”

Noting that both the Ghaith family case and the Shehadeh family case (which one month ago concluded wit the dispossession of the family in favor of settlers) have been ruled on by conservative Israeli Justice Sohlberg, Peace Now says in a statement:

“If this eviction is carried out, God forbid, it will be an injustice and a crime against a vulnerable population under occupation in East Jerusalem, leaving an indelible stain on the State of Israel. The government can and must stop the forced displacement of an entire community and the responsibility lies on its shoulders. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) specifically referred in its opinion to the system of discriminatory laws and the Israeli settlement policy in East Jerusalem and determined that it is a violation of international law. Although the matter is political and the legal process is only the tool for its realization, it is important to emphasize that Judge Solberg’s decision stands in contrast to the decisions of other judges in the Supreme Court who have granted permission to appeal in similar cases. It seems that Judge Solberg is using his powers to prevent the discussion from reaching judges whose position is different from his own, precisely two days before the state’s position on the issue is supposed to be given to the court.”

Residents of Zanuta Return to Land to Find Destruction, Israel “Offers” Permanent Displacement as Solution

It has been nearly a year since the residents of Zanuta – a remote herding community in the South Hebron Hills – has been forcibly displaced from the lands under the shadow of continuous settler violence and lack of any action by the IDF to stop the terrorism, which only escalated in the wake of October 7th. In July 2024 the Israeli High Court of Justice ruled that the State of Israel must facilitate their safe return to the land. Villagers started returning to the area in August to discover that in the intervening months, settlers have been allowed to enter the area and destroy nearly all of the houses, the small school, and the village’s health clinic. The village appeared ransacked. Only days after their initial return, the village was attacked by Yinon Levy (a settler under international sanctions for his involvement in violence) while the Israeli police and army watched.

With the legal assistance of Haqel, the villagers submitted a request with COGAT to restore and protect the village’s buildings. Instead of offering that small measure of justice, the Civil Administration responded by “offering” the villagers a chance to relocate their lives to land 2.5km away – land that Israel has declared to be “state land” but land that is adjacent to Areas A  and B (not situated solidly in Area C, as the current village is). The letter also stated that the Civil Administration will not permit any new construction in the current village and intends to carry out enforcement against buildings that lack Israeli permits in 30 days.

Haqel issued the following statement in response to the absurd proposal:

“the state is threatening the residents with destruction of the remainder of the demolished building in the village if the residents accept the offer to evacuate the village and move to the area adjacent to areas A and B. There is no doubt that the state’s proposal at the present time, precisely with the return of the residents to their village by order of the High Court after the previous violent expulsion, is intended to formalize and complete the deportation of the residents of the village of Zanuta where the settlers began their efforts to ethnically cleanse Area C of its Palestinian residents. The state ignores any historical and proprietary connection of the residents to the village who have in their possession documents proving their rights to hundreds of dunams of private land in the village and forcing them to be displaced to an area in which they have no property rights and where there are other Palestinian landowners present.”

UN Adopts on Resolution Calling for Israel to End Illegal Occupation of Palestinian Territory

On September 18th, the  United Nations General Assembly voted to adopt a resolution demanding that Israel end “its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory” within 12 months. The resolution further calls for member states to cease transferring arms to Israel that may be used in the occupied lands. Only 14 countries voted against the measure, including Israel and the United States. Kenneth Roth, founder and former director of Human Rights Watch, suggests that:

“The US government’s response suggests a refusal to recognize the new legal reality in which Israel now finds itself….The US government’s response to the general assembly resolution reflected (at least feigned) ignorance of the legal paradigm shift that has occurred. The Biden administration accused the general assembly of “ignoring Israel’s very real security concerns”, but that misses the point of the ICJ ruling. Those security concerns must be met from within Israel, not through occupation.”

While the resolution is non-binding, it provides decisive clarity that the majority of the world (124 out of 198) holds Israel’s occupation is illegal and should end. The resolution’s language is largely informed by the advisory opinion issued by the International Court of Justice some two months ago.

Blinken Calls on Israel to Changes Rules of Engagement in the West Bank

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called upon Israel to change its rules of engagement in the West Bank after an American citizen, Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, was shot in the head and killed by an IDF soldier while participating in a protest against the Evyatar outpost in the Palestinian village of Beita. 

Eygi’s family said in a statement:

“Aysenur, an activist and volunteer, was peacefully standing for justice as an international observer and witness to Palestinian suffering. She was taking shelter in an olive grove when she was shot in the head and killed by a bullet from an Israeli soldier. This cannot be misconstrued as anything except a deliberate, targeted and precise attack by the military against an unarmed civilian.”

The family’s statement helps put the spotlight on the ongoing struggle of Palestinians from the area of Beita to stop the retroactive legalization of a violent outpost, which was established illegally by settlers on a strategic hilltop named Mount Sabih, located just south of Nablus on land historically belonging to nearby Palestinian villages Beita, Yatma, and Qablan. Palestinians have held weekly protests against the government’s plans and the continued presence of settlers in the area ever since – protests which have resulted in no fewer than seven Palestinian protesters dying as a result of the harsh and violent actions by the IDF to quash the protests. Then, on July 8, 2024, the Israeli government declared 16 acres (66 dunams) of land as Israeli “state land” in order to pave the way for the legalization of the Evyatar outpost. The declaration is the result of three years of “work” by Smotrich’s Settlements Administration to examine the status of the land in order to find a way for the state to take control of the land in order to legalize the outpost. The declaration was made one week after the Israeli Security of Cabinet decided in favor of legalizing the Evyatar outpost along with four other outposts.

Blinken said:

“We’ve long seen reports of the security forces looking the other way when extremist settlers use violence against Palestinians. We’ve seen reports of excessive force by Israeli security forces against Palestinians. It’s not acceptable. It has to change. And we’ll be making that clear to the senior-most members of the Israeli government.”

Bonus Reads

1. “IDF expands Judea and Samaria security guards authority” (JNS)
2. “A plan to liquidate northern Gaza is gaining steam” (+972 Magazine)
3. “Annexation, Expulsion and Israeli Settlements: Netanyahu Gears Up for Next Phase of Gaza War” (Haaretz)
4. “What Settler Violence Is Doing to Israel’ (The Atlantic)
5. “How extremist settlers in the West Bank became the law” (Financial Times)
6. “How the Israeli settlers movement shaped modern Israel” (The Conversation)
7. “Israel’s Existential Threat from Within” (NYT The Daily Podcast)

 

Welcome to FMEP’s Weekly Settlement Report, covering everything you need to know about Israeli settlement activity this week.

To subscribe to this report, please click here.

September 6, 2024

1. Settler Terrorism & Sanctions
2. Operation “Summer Camps” and the Expansion of Israel’s War Against Palestinians
3. Bonus Reads

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Settler Terrorism & Sanctions

Settlers have continued to terrorize Palestinians across the West Bank. Over the past few days settlers have been documented:

• Raiding the village of Qaryut (near Nablus) and setting fields on fire (Sept. 6). The settlers, accompanied by soldiers, clashed with locals during which time a 13-year old girl was shot and killed in her bedroom, reportedly by Israeli military forces;
• On the same day (Sep. 6th) an American-Turkish citizen, Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, was shot in the head when Israeli forces and settlers opened fire on a protest in Beitar;
• Torching cars in the villages of Deir Dibwan and Khirbet Abu Falah, leaving graffiti indicating it was a “price tag” attack;

Settlers continue perpetrating unabated and escalating violence despite the expanding number of sanctions on settlers by foreign governments and bodies. In its new report on settler violence, the International Crisis Group calls on foreign governments not only to continue expanding sanctions on violent settlers and entitities, but to accompany those sanctions with curbing arms sales to Israel.

One country continuing to expand sanctions is the U.S., which is also under continued civil society pressure to continue doing so. On August 28th the U.S. government announced two new sanction targets: the Israeli settler group Hashomer Yosh, and Yitzhak Levi Filant – an Israeli who serves as the civilian security coordinator for the Yitzhar settlement. Both are accused by the U.S. government of being responsible for violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.

The sanctions on the Hashomer Yosh (“The Guardian of Judea and Samaria”)  organization is particularly notable because it is funded by the Israeli government, and its executives are affiliated with Israeli officials Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich. In response to the U.S. sanctions, the group even defended its actions by asserting that it coordinates its activities with the government. +972 Magazine further revealed that the organization has received funding from the U.S.-based Central Fund of Israel between 2015-2019. The group is identified by Palestinian activists in the South Hebron Hills as the “number one” group behind settler terrorism, which led to the coerced displacement of the Khirbet Zanuta community earlier this year. For more on this organization, see Peace Now’s reporting.

Yitzhak Levi Filant serves as the civilian security coordinator for the Yitzhar settlement According to DAWN, Filant has participated in or directed “violent assaults, shootings, threats at gunpoint, arson, and property destruction targeting Palestinian civilians between October 2019 and February 2024…Most recently, on February 17, 2024, Filant and other settlers set up a makeshift roadblock outside the village of Asira al-Qibliya and forcibly removed three Palestinian civilians from a car, assaulted them, and threatened to burn the vehicle if they returned.”

In addition to the new U.S. sanctions, Haaretz reports that the European Union Foreign Minister Josep Borell will ask members to impose sanctions on Israeli ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben Gvir. The EU would have to vote unanimously to impose sanctions, though individual member states can proceed with sanctions independent of EU consensus. The settler-run Arutz Sheva outlet reports that EU members have already promised Israeli diplomats that they will veto the sanctions.

Operation “Summer Camps” and the Expansion of Israel’s War Against Palestinians

The Israeli military’s operation “Summer Camps” has lasted 10 days so far, during which at least 30 Palestinians have been killed and terrorized the West Bank cities of Jenin, Tulkarem, Tubas, and surrounding areas. Palestinians there have endured repeated airstrikes, constant buzzing of drones, large-scale and repetitive raids, and the destruction of infrastructure including roads, water systems and electricity grids. Israel’s operations have effectively paralyzed life across the West Bank.  The Israeli government and military say their campaign – which is the largest since the Second Intifada – is to root out resistance cells and have been spurred by the recent uptick in the use of explosives, including recent booby trapped cars and a suicide bomber.

Though there have been reports that Israeli forces withdrew from Jenin and Tulkarem on September 6th, Israel Hayom has previously reported that the Israeli government is planning for a long-term, large-scale military operation across the whole West Bank – with Hebron being the next target. Other reports suggest the Israeli government is moving to designate the entire West Bank as an active combat zone, no longer a secondary front of its war on Gaza. Israeli Defense Minister Gallant urged extensive military campaigns in the West Bank, saying “we [Israel] are mowing the lawn, [but] the moment will also come when we will pull out the roots, that must be done.

In Jenin and Tulkarem in the northern West Bank, Palestinians were trapped in their homes unable to leave for days. Israel has also shot at Palestinian ambulances and obstructed their ability to reach injured people or even respond to emergency calls not related to Israel’s incursion. The Palestinian Red Crescent told Haaretz that it took 8 hours for an ambulance to reach and transport a patient for her dialysis treatment – which the hospital later suspended because they did not have enough consistent electricity to run the machines. A resident of Jenin told the New York Times:

“…this is the first time we see this kind of brutality…There is no humanity. They uprooted the trees, broke the buildings. The sewer mains meters under the ground, they ripped them up. The electricity, the water — they didn’t leave anything untouched.”

Another Jenin resident told +972 Magazine reporter Mariam Barghouti:

“What do you think they’re doing? They’re pushing for escalation so that they can fully depopulate us..They’re making life for us unbearable…What this does is naturally push us toward confrontation, and when we do, the Israeli military further intensifies its abusive practices.”

The Haaretz Editorial Board ominously warns:

“​​Ten days ago, the army intensified the combat and launched Operation Summer Camps, which is currently underway. The reins have been loosened and the army is now operating like it does in Gaza. At least 38 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank, including at least nine minors. The destruction sown by the army in the refugee camps resembles the destruction in Gaza. These have always been futile operations whose only result, in the absence of a political plan, is pushing West Bank residents further into despair and toward armed struggle. The minister of the West Bank, Bezalel Smotrich, and the national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, under Netanyahu’s leadership and with the army’s participation, are doing everything they can to open another front in addition to the ones that are already aflame. They will soon get their wish.”

Bonus Reads

1. “‘This is a war’: FM urges Gaza-style temporary evacuation of Palestinians in West Bank” (The Times of Israel)
2. “Inside the Movement to Settle Southern Lebanon” (Jewish Currents)
3. “Shin Bet Chief Warns PM and Ministers: Jewish Terror Is Jeopardizing Israel’s Existence“ (Haaretz)
4. “Israeli settlers are seizing Palestinian land under cover of war – they hope permanently” (BBC)
5. “Aiding and Abetting Jewish Settler Terror: Will There Now Be Real Consequences?” (Haaretz Editorial Board)
6. “Trump’s Israel adviser suggests diverting $1 billion from Palestinian aid to fund West Bank annexation” (Forward)

Welcome to FMEP’s Weekly Settlement Report, covering everything you need to know about Israeli settlement activity this week.

To subscribe to this report, please click here.

August 23, 2024

1. Smotrich Tours Land Near Bethlehem He Now Controls, Threatens Systematic Demolition of Palestinian Buildings
2. Following Pogrom in Jit, Borrel Threatens EU Sanctions Against Israeli Ministers
3. New Outpost Reported Near Jericho
4. IDF Invades Ramallah Neighborhoods to Demolish Two Homes
5. The Israeli Government Has Transferred 150,000+ Guns to Settlers
6. Peace Now Releases New Settlements Map
7. Bonus Reads

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Smotrich Tours Land Near Bethlehem He Now Controls, Threatens Systematic Demolition of Palestinian Buildings

On August 18th, Bezalel Smotrich staged a tour of a large swath of land in Area B near Bethlehem which was recently transferred into his hands by the Israeli military. While there, Smotrich told announced that he is advancing immediate plans to scale up systematic demolitions of Palestinian buildings in the area – a  saying, “we will roll up our sleeves, the State of Israel returns to being the owner of the house.”

In July, Peace Now reported that the Israeli Commander of the Central Command signed two orders granting the Israeli government vast planning authorities an additional 3% or 41,300 acres (167,000 dunams) of the West Bank, in the areas to the east of and between Bethlehem and Hebron.  These lands constitute what is referred to as the “Agreed-Upon Reserve” as delineated by the Wye Agreement in 1998, at which time the Palestinian Authority was granted civilian control (areas A & B according to the Oslo Accords), much to the dismay of settlers and their government allies who have been agitating for control over an ever-increasing amount of land in the West Bank in order, at least in part, to demolish Palestinian construction in the area.The first order granted Israeli authority to operate in the entire “Agreed-Upon Reserve”, and the second order made construction in the areas illegal – establishing guidelines for Israeli authorities to demolish any/all Palestinian buildings if they were built after 1998 (the Wye Agreement). 

Peace now reports:

“One of the arguments made by settlers against Palestinian construction in these Areas is that it harms important natural values. However, this claim is full of hypocrisy. First, as mentioned, the Agreed-Upon Reserve is called “Green Area” by virtue of the agreement. The territory determined by professionals who found that it indeed holds worthy natural values deserving protection, and its precise boundaries were not set. Moreover, at the same cabinet meeting a month ago, where it was decided to start demolishing Palestinian homes in the Agreed-Upon Reserve, it was also decided to establish a new settlement on the lands of Battir village (Nahal Heletz settlement). This settlement is intended to be established in the heart of a site declared by UNESCO as a world heritage site in danger. Thus, it is difficult to argue that nature preservation is at the forefront of the cabinet ministers’ priorities. Lastly, there are many cases in which settlements harm real nature reserves, but authorities are not eager to address them.”

Following Pogrom in Jit, Borrel Threatens EU Sanctions Against Israeli Ministers

In the week since settlers from the Havat Gilad outpost led a pogrom against the Palestinian village of Jit – resulting in the murder of 1 Palestinian, injuries to many others, and widespread fire damage of homes,vehicles, and property – sustained international criticism of the Israeli government’s non-response has finally resulted in the arrest of four suspects. 

The U.S. vocally criticized the Israeli government for failing to curb settler violence, and European Union Foreign Policy chief Josep Borrell Fonteles announced that he is advancing sanctions against violent settlers and complicit Israeli government ministers. One possible target for sanctions is the Amana settler group, which was recently sanctioned by the Canadian government. Peace Now has produced a new succinct report revealing the depths to which Amana finances and leads illegal settlement activity – making it an obvious and impactful target for serious international sanctions regimes.

New Outpost Reported Near Jericho

Palestinian sources report that settlers have established a new outpost north of Jericho, near the Auja spring.

IDF Invades Ramallah Neighborhoods to Demolish Two Homes

On August 12th a large Israeli force arrived in neighborhoods on the outskirts of Ramallah to demolish two Palestinian homes that were alleged to be the homes of Palestinians accused of participating in a violent attack targeting Israelis. During the IDF’s incursion – which included hundreds of Israeli soldiers and tens of military vehicles – two Palestinians were shot and killed by Israeli forces, and at least nine others sustained injuries. OCHA reports that, in addition to the two homes which were detonated, “16 other residences were damaged, and 12 households comprising 49 people, including four children, were forced to temporarily evacuate their homes at midnight.”

The Israeli Government Has Transferred 150,000+ Guns to Settlers

Visualizing Palestine has released a new visual showing the huge number of military grade guns that have been transferred to settlers by the Israeli government since October 7, 2023 – – and how the increase in number of guns has fueled the establishment of over 800 new settler militias and police forces. This has coincided, predictably, with the increase in frequency and severity of settler attacks on Palestinians — and the total impunity within which settlers are allowed to continue their terrorism.

Check out the graphics and underlying data here.

Peace Now Releases New Settlements Map

Peace Now has published a new highly detailed map of West Bank and East Jerusalem settlements. 

Along with the map, Peace Now provided a new graphic capturing the current state of the settlement enterprise in the West Bank, where there are:

• 478,000 settlers;
• 147 settlements;
• 201 outposts (90 of which are argricultural/farming outposts).

Bonus Reads

1. “Injuries during Israeli military incursion into Qalqilya area-town” (Wafa News)

 

Welcome to FMEP’s Weekly Settlement Report, covering everything you need to know about Israeli settlement activity this week.

To subscribe to this report, please click here.

August 16, 2024

1. New Blue Line Map Paves Way for New Settlement, Nahal Heletz
2. New Blue Line Map Grants Migdal Oz Settlement More Land
3. Tender Issued for Alon Shvut Construction
4. Givat Hamatos Expansion Plan Deposited
5. Settlers Open Long Awaited “Zip Line” Project in Jerusalem
6. Settlers Lead Violent Pogrom in Jit
7. Threat of Multiple Demolitions in al-Bustan, Along with Settler Takeovers, Amplifies Threat of Mass Displacement
8. IDF Partially Dismantled Giv’at Oz Zion Outpost
9. Settlers Stage Another Protest On Gaza Boundary
10. Regavim Files Lawsuit Against U.S. Government Over Settler Sanctions
11. Canada Revoked JNF Tax Exemption
12. Bonus Reads

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New Blue Line Map Paves Way for New Settlement, Nahal Heletz

On August 14th the Israeli Civil Administration’s Blue Line Team released an updated map delineating more state land in the area of the Palestinian village of Battir, land on which the government is advancing plans to build a new settlement, called Nahal Heletz. This move is tantamount to issuing a new declaration of “state land,” though the Israeli government views it as a correction and/or update to previous maps. If built, Nahal Heletz would be the first new settlement the Israeli government has planned since 2017, when the Amichai settlement was established. 

Speaking after the declaration, Smotrich said:

“No anti-Israelism or anti-Zionism will stop the continued development of the settlements. We will continue to fight the dangerous idea of a Palestinian state, and establish facts on the ground. This is my life’s mission and God willing I will continue with it as much as I can.”

The updated map of the Blue Line changes the status of an irregularly shaped area of 602.7 dunams to “state land”, allowing the settlement to be planned there – a slice of land much larger than what had previously been planned for the new settlement. Palestinians – whose access to their own privately owned land near the area of the settlement will be restricted – have 45 days to submit an appeal against the designation. Peace Now notes that the shape of the new line:

 “rais[es] questions about how it is possible to construct a settlement in such a fragmented and irregularly shaped area. Based on the settlers’ past experience, it is highly likely that parts of the land outside the blue line will be incorporated into the settlement, and Palestinians will be denied access to their land. As seen in the map, extraordinary efforts have been made to create a blue line for the intended settlement…The pace of declarations of blue line boundaries and state land is unprecedented. Just last week (7.8.24), 116 dunams were declared as state land in the Migdal Oz settlement. The numerous declarations of state land and blue line boundaries for settlements are a result of the government’s policy to prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state and to legitimize the settlement enterprise.”

Recall that a month ago the Israeli government established a jurisdiction for the new settlement before the status of the land was clear. The Israeli Blue Line Team (a government effort to precisely map the boundaries of state land in the West Bank) said at the time that it had updated its maps of state land boundaries in the area, but those maps were note released until August 14th, and – to no one’s surprise – discovered the boundaries of state land in the area to include more area than previously declared, allowing for the settlement to be established.

Battir is a Palestinian village known for its ancient terraced hills, which are recorded as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Notably, the new settlement does not include the land on which two illegal outposts already exist on Battir’s land. The new settlement is being planned for land that is between Bethlehem and several villages to its west (Walaja, Battir, and Husan) –  meaning that construction on this land will sever the territorial continuity of Palestinian land in the Bethlehem region, and, in the words of Peace Now: “turn them [the villages] into an enclave within Israeli territory.”

Palestinian journalist and commentator Nour Odeh told Al Jazeera:

“[Smotrich] is flexing his muscles, telling the world that he cares very, very little about international law…[the settlement] devours what’s left of [Palestinian] land in the Bethlehem area, which has shrunk to nearly 10 percent of its original size…[it is located] not just in any UNESCO World Heritage Site, but also in … the only place left for agriculture, for picnics, planning and building”.

New Blue Line Map Grants Migdal Oz Settlement More Land

On August 7th, the Israeli Civil Administration published a new map which expands the amount of land in the area of the Migdal Oz settlement by 116.2 dunmans. According to Israeli press, the government is preparing plans for the construction of 500 new settlement units on this land.

Migdal Oz is located between Bethlehem and Hebron in the southern West Bank, in an area where the Israel separation barrier cuts deeply into the West Bank so much so that the Migdal Oz, and Efrat settlements are on the Israeli side of the barrier (de facto annexed into Israeli proper.

Peace Now said in a statement: 

“The Israeli government continues to legitimize the injustice and original sin of the settlement enterprise. Instead of evacuating settlements established through military seizure orders, which have taken hundreds of dunams from the Palestinian residents of Beit Ummar, the government perpetuates this injustice with regulations and laws that deepen the hostility between Israelis and Palestinians. This is a messianic government focused solely on annexation and the perpetuation of the  war & occupation, with no regard for the security of either Israelis or Palestinians.”

Tender Issued for Alon Shvut Construction

Peace Now reports that the Israeli Ministry of Housing issued a tender for the construction of 110 new settlement units in the Alon Shvut settlement. The Alon Shvut settlement, located just north of the Kfar Etzion settlement and between Bethlehem and Hebron. The Alon Shvut settlement was last expanded in 2019, when the Israeli government created a new outpost near the settlement in order to “temporarily” house settlers who had been forcibly evacuated from the Netiv Ha’avot outpost. The government then added the area on which the settlers were relocated to the jurisdiction of Alon Shvut.

Peace Now notes that this is the second tender published for West Bank construction in 2024.

Peace Now said in a statement: 

“This new tender adds to the additional construction that the Israeli government has been advancing across the West Bank since the beginning of the year. So far, the government has promoted over 8,700 units in the planning council, and with this new tender, the total number of housing units put up for tender stands at 630. Instead of focusing on areas like the north or the south that are in need of development and investment, the Israeli government chooses to promote housing units in occupied territories that do not belong to it.”

Givat Hamatos Expansion Plan Deposited

Ir Amim reports that on August 4th the Jerusalem District PLanning Committed formally deposited for public review a plan to massively expand the Givat Hamatos settlement along the Hebron Road. The plan calls for 3,5000 new settlement units and 1,300 hotel rooms to be built on the eastern slopes of the Givat Hamatos settlement – construction which would double the number of housing units in the Givat Hamatos settlement and increase its land mass by 40%. Further, the new settlement will be built on a strategic strip of land that will expand the area of Givat Hamatos eastward, connecting it with another new settlement plan – the “Lower Aqueduct Plan.” These plans ultimately create a string of settlements — spanning from Gilo to Givat Hamatos to Har Homa — that, together with the planned “Givat HaShaked” settlement to its north, completely encircle the East Jerusalem Palestinian neighborhood of Beit Safafa with Israeli settlement construction. 

Previous iterations of this plan included the Greek Patriarchate as a co-developer, but the newly deposited plans do not include mention of the Church anywhere. The Church has said in the past that part of the development is intended for use by the city’s Christian community, though previous reports indicate that the plan calls for five synagogues and two mikvehs, clearly showing that the construction is designed to serve Israeli Jews.

Settlers Open Long Awaited “Zip Line” Project in Jerusalem

On August 14th, the settler organization Elad celebrated the opening of one of its many touristic settlements in Jerusalem, this one a zipline in the Jerusalem’s Peace Forest. The zipline travels over the heads of Palestinian houses in the Jabal al Mukhaber neighborhood (see pictures). The zipline connects the “Peace Forest” in the Abu Tor neighborhood to another popular tourism site, the Armon Hanatziv promenade. 

As part of this project, Elad also established a new tourism center in the Peace Forest, a project that was paid for by the Israeli Ministry of Housing, to the tune of 43 million NIS ($12.38 million USD). The House – which the settlers have named “Beit Shatz” – was purchased by Elad as part of Elad’s broader efforts to use tourist projects as a means for taking control over the area, which is situated in a national park.

The behavior of Elad and the Israeli government in the Peace Forest underscores the the systematic discrimination in planning policies and enforcement facing Palestinians in Jerusalem. The several Palestinian families living in the “Peace Forest” and are prohibited from building or expanding/renovating their homes because of the strict building prohibitions for national parks.  Elad managed to circumvent those same restrictions by pushing the Jerusalem Municipality to request that the area they are targeting be designated as an “open public space,” which would allow the project to advance. In December 2019, Jerusalem planning authorities granted the settler-backed request. That same month, Israel pursued demolition orders against Palestinian homes in the Peace Forest that lacked building permits, despite the fact that in some cases Palestinians have repeatedly applied for and been denied permits. 

Peace Now said in a statement:

“The zip line project is one of many initiatives by the Elad organization in Jerusalem, where, in every case, the municipality and/or government bodies were involved in transferring responsibility for the sites to the foundation. For example, the archaeological site of the City of David has been operated by the Elad organization for decades, the Israeli government is constructing a cable car to the Elad organization’s tourism complex in the City of David, a camping site at the edge of the Peace Forest was developed with three million shekels of state funds, and the Hinnom Valley was handed over for agro-tourism development under Elad’s responsibility

These projects, along with the latest zip line initiative, represent a tourism activity intertwined with political interests, aimed at allowing the foundation to become a powerhouse in Jerusalem’s tourism sector. Elad seeks to control and manage numerous sites, both in terms of the content delivered to the public and the shaping of the space. Elad’s tourism activities can be seen as a form of “touristic settlement,” designed to make the area as “Jewish-Israeli” as possible and to complicate any future compromise agreement in Jerusalem, where two capitals for two states are envisioned.”

Jerusalem expert Daniel Seidemann commented on X: 

“Gleeful teenagers will screech as the race above the iconic views of the Mt. of Olives, the Old City and al Aqsa included in the ticket. This is the crass Disneyfication of historic Jerusalem, and it’s not the first.  A cable car is under construction leading from West Jerusalem to the settler headquarters in Silwan, a mere 179 meters away from Al Aqsa mosque.”

Settlers Lead Violent Pogrom in Jit

On August 15th, ~100 Israeli settlers from the X settlement launched a violent attack on the Palestinian village of Jit, located near Nablus in the northern West Bank. One Palestinian was killed by settler gunfire and many more were injured. Video of the pogrom show widespread damage to property as a result of settlers setting vehicles and homes on fire. The IDF arrived about an hour into the ordeal, and removed settlers from the town, but made only one arrest.  The IDF later said it has opened an investigation into the incident.

Threat of Multiple Demolitions in al-Bustan, Along with Settler Takeovers, Amplifies Threat of Mass Displacement

Ir Amim continues to raise alarm regarding the imminent mass displacement of Palestinians from their longtime homes in the al-Bustan section of Silwan, in East Jerusalem. 

The threat turned into reality for the Shehadeh family, whose home was taken over by settlers on August 15th with the assistance of Israeli police. Ir Amim says the Shehadeh family, “lost their home to an organization intent on displacing their entire community, all with the help of a legal system that imparts anything but justice” This is the 15th Palestinian family dispossessed by the Ateret Cohanim settler organization, with another 80+ families facing the same threat. Ateret Cohanim, in coordination with the state, has capitalized on Israel’s discriminatory laws which allow Jews to “reclaim” houses that they owned prior to 1948 (Palestinians have no such parallel right).

On August 5th, Israeli authorities demolished another home in Al-Bustan, where eight more homes face the same demolition threat.

Ir Amim writes:

“All legal remedies have been exhausted. As a result, over 20 more Palestinians stand to be displaced. Several additional homes could likewise be under impending threat. The increased risk of mass demolition in Al Bustan follows the demolition of the home of community leader and well-known activist, Fakhri Abu Diab, in February, which profoundly impacted the community and triggered extreme alarm among its residents. It is assumed that Abu Diab was deliberately targeted due to his work to secure a housing solution for the community and a cruel way for the authorities to instill fear in the rest of the neighborhood.

Demolitions of Palestinian homes have reached unparalleled levels since the outbreak of the war. Such practices constitute a form of collective punishment, retaliatory state violence, and part of a series of repressive measures currently being employed by Israel against Palestinians under its control. Since October 7, 160 homes have been destroyed in East Jerusalem alone, marking a two-fold monthly increase in demolitions compared to the period preceding the war. Between January 1-August 8, 2024, 113 homes have been demolished, representing a 75% increase compared to the same period last year.

The numbers are only liable to accelerate in light of the planned changes in the government ministry which presides over the National Enforcement Unit–one of the units responsible for carrying out demolitions in East Jerusalem. On July 24, the Knesset approved the transfer of the National Enforcement Unit from the Ministry of Finance to the Ministry of National Security, placing it under the direct authority of ultranationalist and far-right Minister Itamar Ben Gvir. The transfer of the unit was included in coalition agreements during the formation of the government last year. Over the past year and half, Ben Gvir has made numerous statements calling for the intensification of demolitions of Palestinian homes. Such a move is cause for extreme alarm and will directly impact areas of East Jerusalem.”

To read more about the multitudes of threats facing Palestinians in al-Bustan, see Ir Amim’s reporting.

IDF Partially Dismantled Giv’at Oz Zion Outpost

On August 6t the IDF dismantled 15 temporary buildings that compromised a new and expanded section of the illegal Giv’at Oz Zion outpost, which settlers built on privately owned Palestinian land north of Ramallah. The outpost, according to the Shin Bet, has been the source of violent terror. Prime Minister Netanyahu and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich (who oversees building enforcement in the West Bank) both approved this demolition at the request of the IDF Commander.

Just over a month ago the IDF clashed with settlers at the Oz Zion outpost when forces arrived to demolish the new section. The July demolition was reportedly ok’d by Prime Minister Netanyahu – going over the head of Bezalel Smotrich and the Settlement Administration, which has seized control of building enforcement in the West Bank. 

Settlers Stage Another Protest On Gaza Boundary

On August 12th, ~300 Israeli settlers held a protest near the Gaza barrier, continuing to promote their call to resettle the Gaza strip.  Specifically, the event was to be held near the entrance to the so-called Netzarim Corridor, a road and control zone that IDF cut into Gaza to severing the north and the south – destroying everything in its path and near it. In anticipation of the rally, the IDF expanded the closed zone around the Gaza barrier. The IDF told The Times of ISrael that it feared the event would be attacked by Palestinians, though Haaretz reports that the IDF anticipated the protestors trying to enter Gaza as they have done at previous protests. During the event itself the IDF escorted 100 protestors to the ANZAC memorial site close to the Netzarim junction.

One of the protestors told Haaretz:

“We requested entry to Netzarim Junction because it is a symbolic location with available land for settlement, a fitting Zionist response to our enemies,” she said. “We have over 600 families ready to move here. We can’t wait for the war to end, and it will also significantly support the war effort.”

The protest, organized in part by the Nahala settler group, was held on the Jewish holiday Tisha B’Av (which commemorating the dates on which two ancient temples in Jerusalem were destroyed) and featured prayer and a traditional reading of scripture. 

Regavim Files Lawsuit Against U.S. Government Over Settler Sanctions

The Israeli settler group Regavim “assembled a team of lawyers” (according to its newsletter) and filed a petition challenging sanctions imposed by the Biden Administration on Israeli settlers. The Christian Zionist group “Texas for Israel” filed the petition with the District Court of Northern Texas, arguing that the sanctions violate the rights of Americans because it prohibits citizens from providing financial support to designated individuals and entities, which the complainants say constitutes a violation of the rights to free speech and religion.

There is a growing international sanction regime targeting individual settlers and increasingly connected entities that are alleged to have participated in acts of violence in the West Bank. In July, reports began circulating that the European Union was/is considering sanctions against Regavim specifically. Fearing  sanctions, settlers and their allies in the government have mobilized a concerted effort to push back against the continued escalation of those sanctions – which to date have not touched Israeli government officials or major settler organizations other than Amana (which was sanctioned by the Canadian government only).

Canada Revoked JNF Tax Exemption

In addition to being the first state to issue sanctions on the Amana settler organization, Canada has also become the first state to revoke the tax exempt status of organizations – in this case the very prominent Canadian arm of the Jewish National Fund and the Ne’eman Foundation – because of its illegal activities in the West Bank. Haaretz reports that the revokation was prompted by complaints submitted to the government by Palestinian rights groups, alleging that the organizations finance illegal settlement construction.

Bonus Reads

1. “New Settlement, expanding outposts, represent wholesale attack on World Heritage Site of Land of Olives and Vines – Cultural Landscape of Southern Jerusalem, Battir” (Joint alert by Peace Now, Combatants for Peace, Emek Shaveh)
2. “While We Were at War: The Government’s Annexation Revolution in the West Bank Since October 7th” (Peace Now)
3. “Israel is redrawing the West Bank, cutting into a prospective Palestinian state” (Washington Post)
4. “Israel’s Top Court: IDF Must Protect Palestinians From West Bank Settlers, Even During War” (Haaretz)
5. “US leads international condemnations of Ben Gvir’s ‘provocations’ at Temple Mount” (The Times of Israel)
6. “What if the U.S. Doesn’t Veto Sanctions Against Israel? ‘It’s the End of the World,’ Says Legal Expert” (Haaretz)
7. “Which countries have sanctioned Israeli settlers – and does it mean much?” (Al-Jazeera)
8. “US to continue aid to Israeli military unit involved in Palestinian American’s death” (Middle East Eye)
9. “IDF says US activist shot by troops accidentally at West Bank anti-settlement rally” (The Times of Israel)
10. “Is the wall around the West Bank for protection or separation?” (Israel Hayom)

 

Welcome to FMEP’s Weekly Settlement Report, covering everything you need to know about Israeli settlement activity this week.

To subscribe to this report, please click here.

July 26, 2024

1. Israeli Army Seizes Key Area of Sebastia Archaeological Site
2. Family in Old City Faces Dispossession
3. First Demolition in Al-Walajah Area C Could be Sign of More to Come
4. Peace Now: In 2023, Israeli Government Funded 101 Illegal Outposts
5. Israeli Human Rights Groups Publish Joint “State of the Occupation” Report
6. Bonus Reads

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Israeli Army Seizes Key Area of Sebastia Archaeological Site

Seizure Of Sebastia Summit Emek Shaveh reports that on July 10th the Israeli army issued an order seizing land at the summit of the Sebastia archeological site in the northern West Bank. The dot of land (1.3 dunams / .3 acres) is surrounded by the Palestinian village of Sebastia in Area C of the West Bank. Emek Shaveh reports that the IDF is likely to set up a military post on the small area, and erect an Israeli flag at the highest point.

This seizure comes over one year after the Israeli government passed a $9 million (NIS 32 million)  plan designed to impose Israeli control over the site both logistically and in the narrative about the site’s history.  Emek Shaveh explains:

 “the government wants to turn the site into an ‘anchor site’ for tourists which would emphasise Jewish history and Jewish rights to the site. The plan, designed to complete the separation of the acropolis from the village and divert tourism away from the village itself, also threatens the Outstanding Universal Values attributed to the site by the State of Palestine and international experts in the field of heritage. “

Settlers have been openly agitating for Israel to assert control over the archaeological site in Sebastia for years, and the settler Samaria Regional Council organizes regular tours to the site. To secure the settlers’ visits, the IDF shuts down the town of Sebastia, closing Palestinian streets and businesses. 

As in other cases across the West Bank, settlers allege that Palestinians are damaging the Sebastia site and that the Israeli government needs to intervene. In 2021 amidst  intensifying settler efforts related to the site, the Palestinian Foreign Ministry called on UNESCO to “protect all Palestinian archaeological and religious sites from Israeli violations, attacks and falsifications.” The archaeological site of Sebastia is on the tentative list of World Heritage sites in Palestine.

Family in Old City Faces Dispossession

Ir Amim reports that the Palestinian Quastiro family who has been running a coffee shop (al-Musrara Cafe) located near the Old City of Jerusalem is facing imminent dispossession of their business at the behest of of the Israeli Custodian General, the government body which can “reclaim” buildings that were owned by Jews prior to 1948.  

The coffee shop is located on the popular al-Musrara Street, which leads from the Damascus Gate to the Old City towards West Jerusalem Jerusalem. Ir Amim explains “the strategic location has made properties there a target of settler takeover, and a few settler families are already living in some of the residential units in the area….The pretext under which the General Custodian is attempting to evict the family could suggest intent on renting or handing over the property to an Israeli settler organization.” 

First Demolition in Al-Walajah Area C Could be Sign of More to Come

Ir Amim reports that on July 22nd Israeli forces demolished the home of the Palestinian Rabah family (12 individuals) in the village of Al-Walaja, located on the southern border of Jerusalem (partially within Israeli’s expanded municipality borders). 

Ir Amim explains the significance of this demolition:

“this is the first time a home demolition in Area C of al-Walaja has taken place in years and could indicate a policy change which would place many more homes in the village at risk of demolition. In 2016, the Israeli authorities dramatically toughened their demolition policy in the part of al-Walaja annexed to East Jerusalem. This has resulted in the destruction of dozens of homes in the past eight years by the National Enforcement Unit, an organ of the Ministry of Finance operating in East Jerusalem along with areas inside the Green Line…While the reason behind the Civil Administration’s decision to carry out the demolition is unknown, it could indicate a major change in policy which would place dozens of homes in Area C of al-Walaja under threat of demolition. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich who received authority over civil issues in Area C has prioritized increased demolitions of Palestinian homes (along with Israeli takeovers of large areas and authorization of unauthorized outposts). “

The home was built by the Rabah brothers in 2012 adjacent to their parents home on the family’s land. Despite owning the land, the brothers were denied Israeli building permits because the Separation Barrier was being constructed some 35 meters away – – meaning that the land was now located in an area where the ISraeli military prohibits new construction for “security” reasons.

Since 1967, Al-Walajah has suffered due to its location and its complicated status under Israeli law. Much of the village’s lands, including areas with homes, were annexed by Israel in 1967, but Israel never gave the villagers Jerusalem legal residency by Israel – meaning that under Israeli law, their mere presence in their homes is illegal). Today it is acutely suffering from a multi-prong effort by the Israeli government and settlers to grab more land for settlement expansion in pursuit of the “Greater Jerusalem” agenda. This land grab campaign includes home demolitions (four homes in Al-Walajah were demolished by Israel on November 2, 2022, for example), the construction of the separation barrier and bypass roads in a way that seals off the village on three sides, and the systematic denial of planning permits. 

Peace Now: In 2023, Israeli Government Funded 101 Illegal Outposts

Peace Now released a new report showing that in 2023 the Israeli government financed 68 settler farming outposts and 33 other (non-farming outposts) to the tune of $7.6 million (NIS 28 million). Peace Now reports that over $20.5 million (NIS 75 million) has been earmarked for outposts in 2024, and that settler regional councils will soon be asked to submit applications for outpost funding in 2024.

The government seeks to obscure its funding of illegal outposts by transferring the money to the World Zionist Organization’s Settlement Division, which then makes the transfers to the outposts. While it is not entirely certain, Peace Now is confident in surmising that government funds were provided by the WZO to five illegal farming outposts that have been targeted by international sanctions.

Peace Now’s findings include:

•  In 2023, the Israeli government financed 68 settler farms in the West Bank with an amount of NIS 15 million. Additional NIS 39 million is allocated for farms in 2024.
•  In addition the government funded 33 illegal outposts (that are not farms) with NIS 13 million in 2023. Additional NIS million is allocation for outposts in 2024.
• The funds were used for financing vehicles, drones, cameras, electric generators, electric gates, lamp posts, fences, solar panels and more.
• The IDF and the Central Command were involved in planning and approving the funds, including deciding which farms and outposts would receive funding and which components would be financed in each farm and outpost.

The farming outposts have been a particular focus for many settlement watchdog groups because they have significantly proliferated over the past few years, and they are exceptionally effective in gaining control over vast areas in the West Bank with only a few settlers, a few tents, herds of livestock, and – usually – violence.

Peace Now said in a statement: 

“Not only does the Israeli government allow settlers to take over lands, establish outposts and farms in violation of the law, and attack and displace Palestinians without any response, it also funds and assists them. Settler violence is not a bug; it is a feature. It is part of an ongoing effort by the Israeli government to systematically expel Palestinians from their homes and lands in Area C in the West Bank.”

Israeli Human Rights Groups Publish Joint “State of the Occupation” Report

In its second annual report, The Platform: Israeli NGOs for Human Rights, published a new report and commentary on Israel’s rule over the West Bank. Twenty-one Israeli human rights groups contributed to the report coordinated by the New Israel Fund. The report affirms that “Israel’s actions in the West Bank today meet the criteria of apartheid.” 

The report details four “trends” that defined the work of the contributing organizations in 2023:

1. The humanitarian disaster in the Gaza Strip and the suspected war crimes committed by Israel; 
2. The deepening of the annexation and the acceleration of dispossession in the West Bank; 
3. The increased Israelisation efforts and displacement of the Palestinian population in East Jerusalem; and,
4. The accelerated erosion of democratic space in Israel. 

You can read the report and its details here.

Bonus Reads

1. “‘Fighting the same battle’: After Oct. 7, settlers court Republican evangelicals” (The Times of Israel)
2. “The ICJ Is Right: The Israeli Settlements Are an Illegal Affront” (The New Republic)

Welcome to FMEP’s Weekly Settlement Report, covering everything you need to know about Israeli settlement activity this week.

To subscribe to this report, please click here.

July 19, 2024

1. Historic ICJ Advisory Opinion Says Israel’s Occupation is Illegal, Calls for Settlements to be Dismantled
2. Israel Grants Itself Civilian Control of An Additional 3% of West Bank Land
3. Settlers Enter Abu Nab House in Batan al-Hawa, Silwan As Shehadeh Family Faces 20-Day Eviction Notice
4. Palestinians Blast IDF Closure of Courtyard in Ibrahimi Mosque Complex
5. New Outpost Established East of Ramallah
6. European Union Issues New Sanctions on Israeli Settlers, Orgs, and Outposts
7. U.S. Sanctions Two More Individuals, Including First Military Target
8. Further Reading on Silwan, Masafer Yatta & More
9. Bonus Reads

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Historic ICJ Advisory Opinion Says Israel’s Occupation is Illegal, Calls for Settlements to be Dismantled

In an advisory opinion issued on July 19th, the International Court of Justice ruled that Israel’s occupation of East Jerusalem and the West Bank  is illegal, and its policies constitute apartheid. The Court said that Israel should immediately end its occupation, make restitution to those damaged by it, including dismantling settlements, evacuating all settlers, and dismantling parts of the Separation Barrier that fall east of the 1967 Green Line. It also calls for the return of all Palestinians who were displaced from their homes as a result of Israel’s occupation.

In delivering the Court’s findings, ICJ President Nawaf Salam said: 

“The sustained abuse of Israel of its position as an occupying power through annexation and an assertion of permanent control over the occupied Palestinian territory and continued frustration of the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination violates fundamental principles of international law and renders Israel’s presence in the occupied Palestinian territory unlawful.”

Further, the Court – which is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations – calls on all States “not to recognize as legal the situation arising from the unlawful presence of the State of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and not to render aid or assistance in maintaining the situation created by the continued presence of the State of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.” This includes banning trade and investments that touch Israel’s settlements. Though the advisory opinion is non-binding, the Court’s rulings hold legal and moral authority.

The Palestinian human rights group Al-Haq issued a detailed explainer in advance of the opinion’s release, which is a good resource for understanding the legal questions the Court was considering. Following the publication of the opinion, Al-Haq posted on X:

“This is a first step towards rectifying the generational harm of Israel’s illegal occupation, ongoing Nakba, settler-colonialism and apartheid to the Palestinian people, which must be ended, and all Israeli discriminatory measures and legislation repealed. Set against a backdrop of aggressive settlement expansion, increased settler attacks & the GazaGenocide the Advisory Opinion is a stark reminder to States and corporations alike of the need to take concrete action against Israel’s crimes and end Israeli presence in Palestine.”

Even in advance of the release of the ICJ’s advisory opinion, Israeli government officials were bracing for its findings. Smotrich even called on Netanyahu to annex the West Bank in retaliation, a demand he reiterated after the opinion was published.

Israel Grants Itself Civilian Control of An Additional 3% of West Bank Land

Peace Now reports that the Israeli Commander of the Central Command has signed two new orders granting the Israeli government vast planning authorities an additional 3% or 41,300 acres (167,000 dunams) of the West Bank, in the areas to the east of and between Bethlehem and Hebron. Previously, these lands were under the (theoretical) civilian control of the Palestinian Authority (areas A & B according to the Oslo Accords), much to the dismay of settlers and their government allies who have been agitating for control over an ever-increasing amount of land in the West Bank in order, at least in part, to demolish Palestinian construction in the area.

The first order granted Israeli authority to operate in these areas, and the second order made construction in the areas illegal – establishing guidelines for Israeli authorities to demolish any/all Palestinian buildings if they were built after 1998 (the Wye Agreement). Importantly, Bezalel Smotrich and his allies hold authority within the Civil Administration to pursue and enforce demolitions.

Peace Now said in a statement:

“There is no end to the desire for control and annexation by the settler government. The Israeli government is taking upon itself authorities that Netanyahu himself transferred to the Palestinians under the Wye Agreement in 1998. There is no Israeli interest in demolishing Palestinian homes in Area B, which will only harm Israel’s security and international standing, but it solely serves the interests of messianic settlers. It should be noted that the “Agreed-Upon Reserve” is not a genuine nature reserve. It is an Israeli invention born out of the Wye Agreement, where Netanyahu sought to prevent the implementation of agreements signed with the Palestinians and to avoid transferring authority to them in these territories. Therefore, they were defined as “reserves” so that the territories would be transferred to Palestinians but with a prohibition on Palestinian construction. However, they do not constitute an actual reserve.”

Settlers Enter Abu Nab House in Batan al-Hawa, Silwan As Shehadeh Family Faces 20-Day Eviction Notice

Peace Now reports that on July 16th settlers entered the home owned by the Palestinian Abu-Nab family in Silwan and immediately began construction work inside. Last week the Jerusalem District Court ruled in favor of the settlers claim to home and ordered the immediate dispossession of the Abu Nab family. Settlers acted fast to take possession of the home while the family was not home, even as the Abu Nab family lawyer prepared an appeal against the ruling.

On the same day that settlers entered the Abu Nab family home, the Shehadeh family (who lives next door to the Abu-Nabs) received an eviction notice giving them 20 days to leave their home or face forcible eviction.  The Shehadeh family has already been denied an appeal by the Israeli Supreme Court.

Peace Now said in a statement: 

“This is a real alarm. If the government does not intervene and if pressure is not applied on it to intervene, we may see Israeli police forcibly evicting Palestinian families from their homes in Silwan in the coming weeks, and settlers moving in instead. This is a terrible injustice based on discriminatory laws and the exploitation of the vulnerability of East Jerusalem residents, who are not equal citizens living under occupation in Jerusalem. This is part of a larger scheme to expel an entire Palestinian community to make way for settlements in East Jerusalem, and this crime must be stopped. Now.”

Palestinians Blast IDF Closure of Courtyard in Ibrahimi Mosque Complex

The Palestinian-run Hebron Municipality condemned the closure of a courtyard outside of the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron. The director of the Hebron Endowments, Ghassan Al-Rajabi, on July 11th Israeli troops used sheet metal to close off the courtyard area. Rajabi called it, “a blatant assault against the sanctity and status of the Mosque.”

The Hebron Municipality issued a statement saying:

 “This assault comes as part of the statistical projects that seek to consecrate the honorable Abrahamic Shrine and its surroundings, and impose complete control over it by erecting tracks and an electric elevator earlier to facilitate the settlers’ access to the shrine, which will cause its historical and religious landmarks to be distorted and changed and violated the religious and cultural rights of the original owners of the land And the ability to exercise and access their religious rights freely and safely. Know that the occupation authorities had this plan for years and it has been objected and objected by the Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs, the owner of the legal, legal and administrative state on the shrine.”

New Outpost Established East of Ramallah

Palestinian sources report that settlers established a new outpost east of Ramallah on July 15th. 

Hassan Mleihat, the general supervisor of the Al-Baidar Organization said at a press conference: 

“A group of extremist settlers set up tents and placed barbed wire over land belonging to the village of Burqa, east of Ramallah…This area has seen rising conflicts between illegal settlers and Palestinians over land, and the new outpost is part of the occupation government’s plans to seize more land for settlement expansion.”

European Union Issues New Sanctions on Israeli Settlers, Orgs, and Outposts

On July 15th the European Union on Monday sanctioned five Israeli settlers, two outposts and one settler organization group that it deemed are “responsible for serious and systematic human rights abuses against Palestinians in the West Bank.” the European Council, the E.U. body that represents the heads of the member governments, said in a statement. 

These sanctions duplicated some of the sanctions the U.S. has imposed already. 

Israeli press reports that several additional countries – including the U.K. under new leadership – have warned Israeli officials that more sanctions should be expected should Smotrich continue his settlement and annexation activities. Haaretz reports that Israeli officials are concerned sanctions will be placed on the major settler groups Amana and Regavim.

U.S. Sanctions Two More Individuals, Including First Military Target

The United States made two announcements of new sanctions this week. First on July 17th the U.S. said it had designated Shlomo Yehezkel Hai Sarid, who is the head of the previously-sanctioned Tsav 9 settler organization. Then on July 18th the U.S. announced that it had sanctioned Elor Azaria, who is a former IDF sergeant who was filmed executing a wounded Palestinian in 2016. Azaria was convicted by an Israeli court and served only 18 months in prison. 

So far, the U.S. has placed sanctions on 11 settlers and 11 settler entities who have perpetrated violence and disorder in the West Bank. Azaria is unique among the designated individuals in that he was sanctioned for his actions while serving in the Israeli IDF some eight years ago, not for his active participation in settler terrorism.

Further Reading on Silwan, Masafer Yatta & More

Following FMEP’s publication of the Settlement Report last eek, several new must-read resources have been published regarding stories that FMEP closely follows.

On the pending mass displacement of Palestinians from Silwan:

• Peace Now published a very detailed explainer on the four legal cases at the forefront of the fight currently underway.

On the ongoing settler terrorism that is making live untenable for Palestinians in the South Hebron Hills:

• AP published, “Mounting home demolitions and settler attacks plunge a Palestinian village into crisis” (AP)

On the every escalating campaign by settlers to weaponize archaeology in pursuit of displacing PAlestinians and seizing control over the West Bank:

• The Jerusalem Post published an op-ed claiming that the Palestinian Authority is directing the “wanton annihilation of Jewish heritage” in the West Bank and calling for the Israeli government to seize control over all sites in Area B. 

Bonus Reads

1. “The US held off sanctioning this Israeli army unit despite evidence of abuses. Now its forces are shaping the fight in Gaza” (CNN)
2. “Some 100,000 Palestinian Residents of Jerusalem Receive Only 4-12 Hours of Running Water per Week” (Ir Amim)
3. “Israel’s legalization of settlements in the northern West Bank, explained” (Mondoweiss)
4. “Far-right groups that block aid to Gaza receive tax-deductible donations from US and Israel” (AP)
5. “What life is like for Palestinians living under Israeli occupation” (Al Jazeera Video)

Welcome to FMEP’s Weekly Settlement Report, covering everything you need to know about Israeli settlement activity this week.

To subscribe to this report, please click here.

July 12, 2024

1. A Stunning, Expansive Time for Israel’s West Bank Annexation
2. Civil Admin Seizes Patchwork of Plots as “State Land” in Order to Legalize the Evyatar Outpost
3. Government Establishes Jurisdiction for New Settlement on World Heritage Site Near Bethlehem
4. Settlers Takeover New Building in Hebron
5. Historic Year for Land Grabs: Israel Seizes Over 3,000 Acres in the Jordan Valley as “State Land”
6. Civil Admin Advances Plans to Legalize Three Outposts & Build 5k New Units Across West Bank
7. Israeli Cabinet Gives Civil Admin Authority Over Antiquity Sites in Area B
8. Israeli Cabinet Supports Knesset Considers Bill to Transfer West Bank Antiquities Control from Civil Admin to Domestic Body
9. U.S. Issues New Round of Sanctions Against Settlers & Settler Organizations
10. Israeli Court Orders 11 Families Out of Homes in Batan al-Hawa, Silwan
11. Israeli Court Rules to Demolish Wadi Hilweh Info Center in Silwan
12. Israeli Court Tells Settlers To Leave Khalidi Library in Old City of Jerusalem
13. Israel to Advance 6,000+ Settlement Units in East Jerusalem in Coming Weeks
14. Amidst Wave of Violence, Settlers Lead Progrom On Massafer Yatta Region
15. Ariel Settlers Close Access Road to Palestinians
16. IDF Demolishes Outposts, Clashes With Settlers
17. Bonus Reads

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A Stunning, Expansive Time for Israel’s West Bank Annexation

Over the past two weeks, Israel has unleashed a flurry of settlement activity that makes its annexation of the West Bank complete. Even a small sampling of those acts, detailed below along with other news, are stunning when taken together. Indeed, Israeli National Missions Minister Orti Strock called this “a miraculous time,” referring to the control her and her allies have over key government bodies and how easy it is for them to fund settlement construction. Strock is a member of the Religious Zionism party, along with Bezalel Smotrich.

Renowned Israeli human rights lawyer Michael Sfard encapsulates this time powerfully in an article entitled, “Smotrich Has Completed Israel’s Annexation of the West Bank”:

“The only thing the annexationist criminals must be saying to themselves now is: why did we wait for 57 years? It’s so easy.”

Civil Admin Seizes Patchwork of Plots as “State Land” in Order to Legalize the Evyatar Outpost

On July 8th, the Israeli government declared 16 acres (66 dunams) of land south of Nablus as Israeli “state land” in order to pave the way for the legalization of the Evyatar outpost. Palestinians who have private ownership claims to the land have 45 days in which to submit an appeal. The declaration is the result of three years of “work” by Smotrich’s Settlements Administration to examine the status of the land in order to find a way for the state to take control of the land in order to legalize the outpost. The declaration comes one week after the Israeli Security of Cabinet decided in favor of legalizing the Evyatar outpost along with four other outposts.

The Evyatar outpost was illegally built by settlers on a strategic hilltop named Mount Sabih, located just south of Nablus on land historically belonging to nearby Palestinian villages Beita, Yatma, and Qablan. It was evacuated by the Israeli government in 2021 in the context of an agreement with settlers that left all construction at the site in place, maintained an IDF presence at the site, and made clear the government’s intent to legalize settlement at the site in the future – a goal which was made more than official when it was agreed to in writing as part of the coalition agreements that formed the current Israeli government.

To underscore the absurdity which has characterized the State’s blatant intent to legalize Evyatar even though Israeli law makes that an impossibility because parts of the land are recognized by the State as privately owned by Palestinians (which is the only reason Evyatar has yet to be legalized), the State’s new declaration of “state land” is a complete patchwork. The order does not include the land on which the central square of the outpost is built, nor does it include 11 buildings, or, very importantly, the access road leading from the main road to the outpost. The implications of this patchwork is that even though the privately owned land was not seized, Palestinians will remain unable to access the land and will, in practice, lose that land as well as land abutting the settlement as it grows, expands, and establishes control over the area with the assistance of the IDF.

Peace Now reports that this is the fifth “state land” declaration so far in 2024 bringing the total land in the West Bank taken into Israeli control this year to 5,879 acres (23,572 dunams), breaking all previous annual records combined. Israel invented the concept of “state land” in order to find means by which to confiscate land in the occupied West Bank, and to do so Israel cites Ottoman law which provided that land which has not been cultivated in consecutives years becomes the property of the sovereign. Peace Now explains:

“The declaration process is essentially a legal maneuver developed by Israel to circumvent the prohibition in international law against expropriating private property of the occupied population for the benefit of the occupying power. To “convert” private land into public land (termed “state land”) without expropriating it, Israel claims that it is not changing the land’s status but merely “declaring” it officially.

According to Israel’s interpretation of Ottoman land law, which underpins the land laws in the occupied territories, if a landowner does not cultivate their land for several years, the land is no longer theirs and becomes public property. To this end, the mapping personnel of the Civil Administration, now operating under the Settlements Administration with legal counsel under Minister Smotrich, examine aerial photographs to identify uncultivated lands and mark them as “state land.”

The declaration map for the Evyatar outpost shows that there were indeed several cultivated lands, even by Israel’s stringent interpretation. For example, the declaration creates an enclave of about 3.5 dunams in the middle of the area designated for the settlement, considered private land. In principle, Israel would argue that it is not expropriating this area and that the Palestinian landowners are still recognized as the owners. However, as in hundreds of similar cases, it is clear that they will not have access to their land and no possibility of using it when it is located in the middle of an Israeli settlement.

To enable an access road connecting the outpost to the main road without crossing private land, the map’s designers managed to “find” an 11-meter-long and 1.5-meter-wide corridor of land that they claim was uncultivated and thus considered state land. This interpretation of Ottoman law brings it to absurdity.

According to this, if a person has a plot and cultivates it intensively, but there is a small uncultivated strip on the edges, say a rock that cannot be plowed, that small part of the plot is not owned by the landowner. This interpretation is far removed from the purpose of the Ottoman law, which was to encourage the empire’s subjects to cultivate the lands to increase its tax revenues.

Regarding the access road – in any case, for modern vehicles, a road 1.5 meters wide is insufficient, and it is clear that to allow access to the settlement, the state will encroach on private Palestinian lands (requiring another legal maneuver). Thus, it can be said that this entire declaration of state land is essentially an unlawful expropriation under international law.”

Government Establishes Jurisdiction for New Settlement on World Heritage Site Near Bethlehem

On July 9th, the IDF Commander signed an order establishing the jurisdiction for a new settlement on the lands just west of Bethlehem, lands that are recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Notably, the jurisdiction for the new settlement, called “Nahal Heletz”, does not include the land on which two illegal outposts already exist on Battir’s land. The new settlement is being planned for land that is between Bethlehem and several villages to its west (Walaja, Battir, and Husan) –  meaning that construction on this land will sever the territorial continuity of Palestinian land in the Bethlehem region, and, in the words of Peace Now: “turn them [the villages] into an enclave within Israeli territory.”

There are several extraordinary facts about this land and Israel’s legal acrobatics to establish a new settlement at this location:

1. 1. The status of the land within the new jurisdiction is unclear, and quite possibly includes privately owned Palestinian land. The Israeli Blue Line Team (a government effort to precisely map the boundaries of state land in the West Bank) has prepared updated maps to show the boundaries of state land in the area, but has yet to release it – meaning that the status of the land is unclear. The jurisdiction appears to stretch beyond the previously understood boundaries of land that Israel seized as “state land” in the 1980s, onto land that is privately owned by Palestinians. The updated boundaries might change that fact in the eyes of the Israeli government. But,once the new Blue Line in the area is made public, Palestinians will/should be able to contest it.
   2. There is no access road to the area, and it is surrounded by privately owned Palestinian land. Israel will have to unilaterally expropriate privately owned Palestinian land in order to pave a road to the new settlement – – an extraordinary act which Israel has done in the past (having invented a legal basis on which to do it, a concept which considers Israeli settlers as part of the “local population” of the West Bank).
   3. The jurisdictional area established by this new order is too small for real development  – just under 30 acres (120 dunams). Peace Now explains that “small settlements severely impact open spaces, require substantial resources for infrastructure and transportation, and contradict fundamental planning principles. The sole reason for establishing such a settlement is political: the desire to prevent a Palestinian territorial continuity in the Bethlehem area and the possibility of a viable Palestinian state.”
   4. The jurisdiction is a stones throw away from Palestinian houses and Area B.

Settlers Takeover New Building in Hebron

Peace Now reports that in early June 2024 settlers have taken over a building (“Beit HaTkuma”) in Hebron and established a new settlement enclave there. The house, which settlers illegally entered once before but were removed under the Bennet-Lapid government, on the main road leading from the Kiryat Arba settlement to the Tomb of the Patriarchs/Al-Ibrahimi Mosque.

Settlers claim to have purchased the house, which is a three-story building, from its Palestinians owners, and report that the Civil Administration has recently issued them a permit to begin the registration process. The timing of this permit coincides with the first days of Hillel Roth’s assumption of his role in the Defense Ministry as the civilian in charge of all land matters in the West Bank. Upon receiving the permit (allegedly), the settlers decided to enter and occupy the building although the permit does not provide for that. [map]

Historic Year for Land Grabs: Israel Seizes Over 3,000 Acres in the Jordan Valley as “State Land”

On June 25th, the head of the IDF signed an order declaring 3,138 acres (12,700 dunams) of land in the Jordan Valley as  “state land” – the largest state land seizure since the Oslo Accords were signed in 1993. This is the first declaration enacted under the authority of Hillel Roth, the new civilian deputy in the Civil Administration responsible for land policy in Area C of the West Bank. Peace Now reports that the legal opinion supporting this massive declaration of state land was crafted by lawyers in the Department of Defense and not legal advisors with the IDF.

Peace Now further reports:

“A significant part of the area that was declared as state land was previously defined as a nature reserve, and also as a “fire area”, for military use, for decades. Today’s announcement completes the Israeli takeover of this area that has been done so far through the declaration of the area as a military area and as a nature reserve – something that imposed many restrictions on the Palestinians’ ability to use their lands. The declaration creates a territorial continuity between the settlements in the Jordan Valley (Yifit and Masu’a) and the settlements at the eastern end of the mountainside (Gitit and Ma’ale Efraim).”

So far in 2024, Israel has declared 5,852 acres as “state land” a figure eclipsing any other year since the Oslo Accords were signed in 1993. The highest previous total was in 2014, and it was for 1,181 acres.

Civil Admin Advances Plans to Legalize Three Outposts & Build 5k New Units Across West Bank

On July 4th, the Israeli Civil Administration approved the advancement of plans for 5,295 settlement units, including plans which would in effect legalize three outposts under the guise of being “neighborhoods” of existing settlements. This is the first time the Civil Administration’s High Planning Council has met since it came under the authority of a civilian official, Hillel Roth, who was appointed by Bezalel Smotrich. The HPC last met in March 2024. The Associated Press has called Israel’s advancement of plans a “turbo charged settlement drive [that] threatens to further stoke tensions on the West Bank.”

The three outposts that are now on their way to legalization, once given final approval, are:

• Mahane Gadi – to be legalized as a neighborhood of the Masu’a settlement in the northern Jordan Valley. This outpost was built in 2018 on an abandoned Isareli military camp. The outpost currently functions as an educational campus and pre-military academy. Plans advanced this week are for the construction of 260 settlement units. Masu’a settlement, and its outpost satellites, were recently benefitted by the Israeli government’s massive declaration of state land that borders Masu’a.  
• Givat Hanan (Susya East) – to be legalized as a neighborhood of the Susya settlement located in the South Hebron Hills.
• Kedem Arava – it appears that the Kedem Arava outpost was legalized along with Beit Hogla in February 2023 (previously unclear), located south east of Jericho. Plans advanced this week are for 316 settlement units in the Kedem Arava outpost area, but filed as if they are plans for the Beit Hogla settlement. 

The settlement plans that were approved for validation (a near final step in the West Bank planning process) are:

• Beitar Illit – 298 settlement units. An additional 453 units were approved for deposit (751 settlement units total).
• Givat Zeev – 452 settlement units
• Mitzpe Yericho – 365 settlement units
• Nokdim – 290 settlement units
• Immanuel – 266 settlement units 
• Elon Moreh – 186 settlement units
• Kiryat Arba – 165 settlement units 
• Negohot – 158 settlement units
• Tzofim – 74 settlement units
• Ganei Modiin – 46 settlement units
• Etz Efraim – 12 settlement units. An additional 24 units were approved for deposit (36 units total)
• Eli – 24 settlement units
• Mitzad (Asfar) – 6 settlement units

The settlement plans that were approved for deposit (an earlier step in the West Bank planning process) are:

• Neria – 436 settlement units
• Modin Illit – 300 settlement units
• Gva’ot – 250 settlement units. There were over 1,000 plans for the Gva’ot settlement on the High Planning Council’s agenda, but only one plan was advanced, the rest continue to be worked on.
• Yakir – 168 settlement units. Haaretz reports that these units are slated to be built on land that is discontiguous from the built up area of the Yakir settlement,  on the far side of the settlement’s access road, effectively building a new settlement. The construction of these units requires the evacuation of a military base. 
• Kiryat Netafim – 136 settlement units
• Hagai – 135 settlement units
• Maale Shomron (Elamatan) – 120 settlement units
• Almon (Anatot) – 91 settlement units
• Shilo – 90 settlement units
• Pduel – 37 settlement units
• Revava – 16 settlement units
• Elkana – 8 settlement units
• Shaarei Tikva – 6 settlement units

Peace Now said in a statement: 

“Netanyahu and Smotrich’s agenda became evident through the decisions of the Planning Council: approval for thousands of housing units, the establishment of three new settlements, and strategic appointments of Smotrich’s allies in key roles instead of military personnel underscore the annexation occurring in the West Bank. Our government continues to change the rules of the game in the occupied West Bank, leading to irreversible harm. While the north is neglected and citizens across the country are abandoned, with 120 hostages still in Gaza, the process of annexation and land theft continues to expand, contrary to Israeli interests. This annexationist government severely undermines the security and future of both Israelis and Palestinians, and the cost of this recklessness will be paid for generations to come. We must bring down the government before it’s too late.”

Israeli Cabinet Gives Civil Admin Authority Over Antiquity Sites in Area B

In late June, the Israeli Cabinet approved several punitive measures against the Palestinian Authority, measures which included usurping the Palestinian Authority’s singular responsibility for antiquity sites in Area B. Under the decision passed last week, the Civil Administration was granted enforcement powers over antiquity sites in Area B that are alleged to be damaged. 

Emek Shaveh explains why this is incredibly significant:

“Approximately 6,000 archaeological sites have been identified in the West Bank. Almost every village or settlement contains archaeological and historical remains that require archaeological supervision to prevent damage to sites, structures, or findings. Thousands of sites are located in Areas A and B…expanding the powers of the [Civil Administration] into these areas represents another Israeli departure from the Oslo Accords. The implications of the decision for Palestinian residents are far reaching. The Staff Officer for Archaeology [in the Civil Administration], which derives its authority from the antiquities law effective in the West Bank (the Jordanian Antiquities Law of 1966), will now be empowered to perform various enforcement actions in Area B including:

• Declaration of archaeological sites, determining their boundaries.
• Issuing work stoppage orders for any development within the boundaries of a declared site or a site suspected of containing archaeological remains.
• Imposing fines for damage to an antiquity site, whether the site is declared or not.
• Demolishing structures located within a declared archaeological site or one that will be declared in the future.
• Collecting information, investigating, and requesting the arrest of suspects in antiquities theft or illegal antiquities trade.

This decision taken together with other decisions for Area B aimed at promoting annexation will dramatically reduce Palestinian space. It should be noted that the SOA consistently avoids enforcing the law when it comes to heritage site destruction by settlers (this is true in Hebron, Battir, and in other places)….

The expansion of archaeological activity into the oPt, especially as reflected in this cabinet decision, indicates the government’s intention to promote annexation by any means. It also fundamentally challenges the possibility of conducting impartial archaeological-scientific activity as long as it operates as part of an oppressive mechanism under military auspices. Israeli archaeological activity in the West Bank necessarily becomes an act of land appropriation and a deepening of Israel’s hold on the West Bank. This action violates international law and ethics, disregards the existence of the Palestinian community, and serves as a weapon for oppression.

The destruction of sites cannot and should not serve as a pretext for political action, and political action should not be disguised as archaeological activity. Blurring the distinction between heritage preservation and settlement and annexation activities turns the practice of archaeology into a weapon of oppression while undermining its professional legitimacy.”

Notably, Israel Hayom credits this Cabinet action to a settler group called “Keepers of the Eternal,” (or, “Guardians of Eternity” – an offshoot of Regavim) the leader of which called the new powers granted to the Civil Administration “dramatic.” FMEP has reported on this group repeatedly as it has increased its pressure on and work with the government to take control of West Bank antiquity sites. Dating back to June 2020, the “Guardians of Eternity” began surveying areas in the West Bank that Israel has designated as archaeological sites, looking for Palestinian construction (barred by Israel in such areas) that they could then use as a pretext to demand that Israeli authorities demolish it. The group systematically began communicating its findings to the Archaeology Unit of the Israeli Civil Administration.

Then in January 2021, the Israeli government committed funding to a settler initiative to surveil archeological sites under Palestinian control. While the objective of protecting antiquities might appear uncontroversial and apolitical, the true (and transparently self-evident) objectives behind this effort are: to support yet another pretext to surveil and police Palestinians; to establish and exploit yet another means to dispossess Palestinians of their properties; to expand/deepen Israeli control across the West Bank; and to further entrench Israeli technical, bureaucratic and legal paradigms that treat the West Bank as sovereign Israeli territory. It is the result of a campaign that has taken place over the past year in which settlers have escalated their calls for the Israeli government to seize antiquities and “heritage sites” located in Palestinian communities across the West Bank, especially in Area C, which Israel today treats as functionally (and legally) indistinguishable from sovereign Israeli territory. 

Israeli Cabinet Supports Knesset Considers Bill to Transfer West Bank Antiquities Control from Civil Admin to Domestic Body

Emek Shaveh reports that the Israeli cabinet gave its support to a bill in the Knesset that would transfer authority over West Bank antiquity sites from the Defense Ministry’s Civil Administration to the domestic Israeli Antiquities Authority, bringing the cultural, heritage, and archaeological sites in the West Bank under the direct control of the Israeli government in which West Bank Palestinians have no rights. 

The bill, as proposed by Likud’s Amit Halevi, explains that the move is justifiable because the West Bank antiquity sites (unbelievably) “have no historical or other connection to the Palestinian Authority.” The bill passed a preliminary vote in the Knesset on July 10th.

U.S. Issues New Round of Sanctions Against Settlers & Settler Organizations

On July 11th, the United States announced another round of sanctions targeting Israeli settlers and settler organizations it asserts are perpetrating violent crimes against Palestinians and Israeli solidarity activists in the West Bank. These sanctions expand the web or already sanctioned individuals and entities.

The individuals and entities sanctioned by the U.S. this week are:

• 1 settler organization: 
  • Lehava – a settler group led by Benzi Gopstein, who is already under U.S. sanctions.
• 3 individuals:
  • Issachar Manne – who established the Manne’s Farm outpost.
  • Reut Ben Haim – the co-head of the Tzav 9 settler group, which is already under U.S. sanctions;
  • Shlomo Sari – the co-head of the Tzav 9 settler group, which is already under U.S. sanctions;
• Four illegal outposts:
  • Meitarim Farm (established by Yinon Levi, who is already under U.S. sanctions);
  • HaMahoch Farm (established by Neria Ben Pazi, who is already under U.S. sanctions);
  • Neria’s Farm (established by Neria Ben Pazi, who is already under U.S. sanctions); and,
  • Manne’s Farm, established by Issachar Manne, who came under sanctions this week, and located in the South Herbon Hills.

Notably, The Times of Israel has previously reported that in 2021 a corporation owned by the Har Hebron Regional Council signed a legally binding contract with Yinon Levi (a previously sanctioned individual) to establish Meitarim Farm. This legal connection exposes the settlement municipality to US sanctions as well.

Aaron David Miler, a former state department Middle East negotiator now a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, tells The Guardian that the expanding targets of U.S. sanctions are creeping closer towards the Israeli government, saying:

“It appears that [the U.S. State Department] not just targeted extremist settlers but … introduced a linkage to territoriality by citing illegal outposts…It doesn’t take much imagination to conclude that the next target would be [Israeli] government financing for illegal outposts. And that would be a new departure to be sure.”

Sara Yager, Washington director of Human Rights Watch, said:

“In this case we’re pleased that the Biden administration is going farther than before with the alert…Now it’s time for sanctions against the Israeli authorities that are approving and inciting. We want to see the US, UK, Canada and others focus on power behind all this in the West Bank.”

Israeli Court Orders 11 Families Out of Homes in Batan al-Hawa, Silwan

This week the Jerusalem District Court ruled on two significant cases affecting 11 Palestinian families in Silwan facing forcible eviction from their homes at the hands of the Ateret Cohanim settler organization. Both cases were found in favor of the settlers, leaving 11 families at risk of imminent mass displacement from East Jerusalem. The Palestinians plan to appeal the ruling to the Israeli Supreme Court – though it was only a month ago that the Supreme Court rejected an appeal by the Shehadeh family whose case is similar to those decided this week.

On July 9th, the Israeli court rejected the final appeal of the Gheith and Abu Nab families (4 family units totalling 22 individuals) and ordered their immediate eviction. The families were also ordered to pay the legal fees incurred by Ateret Cohanim.

On July 10th, the Israeli court rejected the final appeal of the Rajabi family (7 family units, 65 individuals), ruling that the 66-member family must vacate their longtime home by January 2025.

In both cases, Ateret Cohanim claims ownership of the buildings becuase it gained control of the historic Benvenisti Trust, which oversaw the assets of Yemenite Jews who lived in Silwan in the 19th century. In 2001 the Israeli Charitable Trust Registrar granted Ateret Cohanim permission to revive the trust and become its trustees following 63 years of dormancy. In 2002, the Israeli Custodian General transferred ownership of the land in Batan al-Hawa to the Trust (i.e., to Ateret Cohanim). Since then, Ateret Cohanim has accelerated its multi-pronged campaign to remove Palestinians from their homes, claiming that the Palestinians are illegal squatters. Silwan is just one site of Ateret Cohanim’s work to establish Jewish enclaves inside densely populated Palestinian neighborhoods of East Jerusalem, for the explicit purpose of “reclaiming” Palestinian parts of Jerusalem for Jews.

Ir Amim explains:

“These families are among some 85 Palestinian families, consisting of over 700 individuals, who face largescale displacement and settler takeovers of their homes in Batan al-Hawa. This is a result of eviction claims filed by a Jewish trust established in the 19th century, which is now controlled by the Ateret Cohanim settler group who is exploiting it to take over Palestinian homes. 

While carried out under a veneer of legitimacy, the proceedings are underpinned by discriminatory laws, political motivations, and a system that is rigged against Palestinians from the outset which deprives them of equal access to justice. Moreover, theses measures are a violation of international law and could amount to a form of forcible transfer. 

Rather than adjudicating these cases from a broader perspective, which includes moral, geopolitical, and humanitarian considerations, as well as international law, the Israeli judiciary is instead complicit with these moves.

These cases are part and parcel of a coordinated and systematic political campaign aimed at uprooting Palestinians and expanding Jewish settlement in the heart of Palestinian neighborhoods. While the eviction claims themselves are initiated by settlers, they are aided and abetted on all levels of the state, which carry far-reaching implications on the future of Jerusalem and the conflict as a whole.”

Israeli Court Rules to Demolish Wadi Hilweh Info Center in Silwan

On July 3rd, the Jerusalem Court of Local Affairs ruled that the Wadi Hilweh Information Center will be demolished within a year, and fined the Center over $5,000 (NIS 20,000). The Wadi Hilweh Information Center is run by prominent activist Jawad Siyam, who along with the center is a fixture in Silwan and an important interlocutor with diplomats and alternative tourism who are seeking to learn about Palestinian history in the area and current struggles to remain there while enduring state + settler harassment and displacement.

The Center was opened in 2009, at which time the Jerusalem Municipality issued a warning notice demanding the demolition of part of the building that was recently “renovated” (the roof was repaired) because the Center did not obtain an Israeli-issued building permit to do the work. The Center says that the building itself predates Israel’s control of the area in 1967. It currently stands in the shadow of the massive “City of David Visitors Center” complex that the Elad settler organization has built over the years.

Peace Now said in a statement: 

“Instead of taking care of all the residents of Jerusalem, Jews and Arabs, the Jerusalem Municipality works to harm the Palestinian residents and make their lives difficult. The tourist settlement in the Palestinian neighborhoods around the Old City, which is massively supported by the government, is aiming at erasing the Palestinian presence from the public space in East Jerusalem. The pressures exerted by the municipality against the Wadi Hilweh Information Center in Silwan and the intention to demolish it, are for the political purpose of not allowing the residents to organize and make their voices heard in the public domain.”

Israeli Court Tells Settlers To Leave Khalidi Library in Old City of Jerusalem

On June 30th, the Jerusalem District Court made a group of settlers vacate ta building in the Khalidi Library complex located in the Old City of Jerusalem after they broke into the building and occupied it three days prior. The library is within eyesight of the Western/Wailing Wall plaza (Kotel Plaza), on Chain Gate Road, which leads to the Haram al-Sharif. There is an IDF checkpoint right outside of the door, reflecting what an intensely sensitive area it is in.

The settlers had forged documents claiming to have purchased the building, but upon review of the Khalidi families’ own documents which show the family has owned the building for at least 160 years, the Court ordered the settlers to leave. There is another hearing set in the coming weeks which will allow the settlers, if they choose, to make their case.

Listen to Rashid Khalidi explain the history of the Khalidi Library, the current situation and its importance, and the ongoing fears of settler takeover in a conversation with FMEP Fellow Peter Beinart on a recent episode of FMEP’s “Occupied Thoughts” podcast. 

In a statement, the Khalidi family said:

“Despite this temporary success, there is an ongoing fear of settler violence and the chilling effect of the occupation. Two of the settlers involved have been identified as Eli Attal ad Erez Zaka, the former linked to previous takeovers of Palestinian properties in the old city. After today’s ruling, scores of settlers remain lingering  outside the house and on the rooftops filming and occasionally bagining on the doors and windows, posing a threat of breaking and entry and further illegal actions.”

Israel to Advance 6,000+ Settlement Units in East Jerusalem in Coming Weeks

Ir Amim reports that within the next two weeks Israel is planning to advance plans for 6,700 new settlement units in East Jerusalem. Plans to be advanced include:

• • Givat Hamatos  – plans for 3,500 new units, 1,300 new hotel rooms, five synagogues, and two mikvahs (ritual baths). This plan wouldl double the number of units in the settlement and expand its size by nearly 40%;
  • Gilo – two plans for a total of 1,288 new settlement units, expanding hte settlement to the south east, further choking the Palestinian neighborhood of Beit Safafa and severing neighborhoods in southern Jerusalem from the Bethlehem area;
  • Ramot – plans for 800 new settlement units.

Details of the plans slated for advancement are reported here by Ir Amim, and will be reported by FMEP in more detail when they are advanced.

Amidst Wave of Violence, Settlers Lead Progrom On Massafer Yatta Region

Palestinian residents in Masafer Yatta, an area of small villages in the South Hebron Hills, have been live streaming the frequent and intensifying terror that Israeli settlers have been inflicting on them for years. The terror peaked to unimaginable levels over the last weeks when, on multiple occasions, armed settlers descended on villages in the area inflicting terror, violence, and intimidation.

Eid Suleman, a prominent activist in Umm al-Khair, told the Associated Press:

“We know what this is. They’re trying to expel us out of here. The military did the dirty job last week and now the settlers are following up.”

Some of the events that have transpired include:

On June 26th, the IDF arrived in Umm al-Khair early in the morning and proceeded to demolish a third of Umm al-Khair’s structures (11 homes), leaving 38 people (30 children) homeless).

On July 1st, armed settlers descended on Umm al-Khair, some dressed as IDF officers, and fired live ammunition toward Palestinians, deployed tear gas, and attacked people with wooden sticks.  Israel soldiers and police were nearby but did not intervene.

On July 2nd, settlers were accompanied by Isreali soldiers as the entered the village of Umm al-Khair and built a tent in the center square, where 40 settlers gathered in a sort of celebration. When they eventually left, the settlers cut the water pipes supplying the village and warned of their plans to return the next day.

On July 3rd, settlers descended on the nearby village of Khalled al-Daba’a and set agricultural crops and trees on fire. The settlers then proceeded to march on the homes in the village carrying cans of gasoline and guns.

On July 4th, Palestinian residents reported that 100 settlers attacked the village of Khaled al-Daba, setting fire to fruit trees and shooting live ammunition directly towards Palestinians. Settlers proceeded to beat villages with sticks. Israeli forces arrested one Palestinian.

Settlers then moved to Mufagarah, a nearby village, where they destroyed vehicles and prevented emergency medical workers from reaching Palestinians and internationals in need. Palestinians report several Palestinians and two internationals were injured by the settlers.

On July 7th, the IDF arrested members of the Hureini family – who are all prominent activists in the area – who had called the police to report that settlers had shepherded flocks of sheep onto the Hureini’s land.

The Center for Jewish Nonviolence (which maintains a protective presence in Masafer Yatta and closely allied with the local population there) reports that “the attacks on Umm al-Khair after the demolition on Wednesday are being led by a settler named Shimon Atiya (or Atia), a leader of the nearby illegal outpost, Havat Shorashim (or “Roots Farm” in English). For months, he has been one of countless settlers acting with impunity while wreaking havoc on Palestinian communities across Area C.”

The events in Massafer Yatta bring into stark relief the intensity and persistence of settler terrorism in the West Bank, especially since October 7, 2023. AIDA (Association of International Development Agencies) has recorded 1,000 incidents of settler violence since October 7th.

The outgoing head of the Israeli Army’s Central Command, Yehuda Fuchs, used his farewell speech to criticize Israel policy makers for their failure to deter settler terrorism in the West Bank.

Ariel Settlers Close Access Road to Palestinians

The Mayor of the Ariel settlement has blockaded on the main access road leading to the nearby Palestinian village ofSalfit, boasting about his actions in an Instagram post. In addition to building a blockade of boulders and a welded gate, workers also destroyed parts of the road. The Civil Administration has attempted to remove the blockades and restore use of the road, but each time the settlers have re-constructed the blockade.

The Ariel settlement Mayor, Yair Chetboun, said in the video:

“Security is foremost upon us, upon the city. We trust the IDF, love the IDF, but if the senior levels don’t understand the importance of blockading this route – which led to attacks and enables car theft. We won’t permit such a reality. We are also operating on the political front but also on the ground.”

IDF Demolishes Outposts, Clashes With Settlers

On July 3rd, settlers clashed with Israeli authorities as they attempted to demolish the illegal outpost “Oz Zion B.” Haaretz reports that five settlers were arrested for violence against Israeli Border Police, and four were quickly released without questioning or restrictions. One settler who pepper sprayed an officer was brought to court for a hearing but later released and forbidden from going near the outpost.

The demolition of the outpost was reportedly ok’d by Prime Minister Netanyahu – going over the head of Bezalel Smotrich and the Settlement Administration, which has seized control of building enforcement in the West Bank. The outpost, according to the Shin Bet, was the source of violent terror.

Bonus Reads

1. “Road to Redemption: How Israel’s War Against Hamas Turned Into a Springboard for Jewish Settlement in Gaza” (Haaretz)
2. “A look at how settlements have grown in the West Bank over the years” (AP)
3. ​​“West Bank Annexation and Destabilization in the Shadow of the Israel-Hamas War” (J Street) 
4. “The Status of De Jure West Bank Annexation” (Israel Policy Forum)
5. “Mounting International Sanctions Against Powerful Israeli Settler Group Could Be Earth-shattering” (Haaretz)
6. “A warm relationship is being built between Judea, Samaria and America” (JNS)
7. “Why there is no uprising in the West Bank – yet” (Mondoweiss)
8. “In His Retirement Speech, Israel’s Top Officer in the West Bank Revealed the Hidden Truth” (Haaretz)
9. “The Companies Making it Easy to Buy in the West Bank” (The Intercept)

 

Welcome to FMEP’s Weekly Settlement Report, covering everything you need to know about Israeli settlement activity this week.

To subscribe to this report, please click here.

June 28, 2024

1. West Bank Annexation: Israeli Military Cedes Control of West Bank Civilian Affairs to Settler
2. In Secretly Recorded Tapes, Smotrich Confirms Israel is Annexing the West Bank via Bureaucracy
3. Israel Authorizes Five Outposts, Hints at Thousands of Units & More Annexation to Come
4. Knesset Forms Caucus to Push for Resettlement of Gaza
5. Canada Sanctions Prominent Settler Groups & Leaders
6. Israeli High Court Hears Petition Challenging De Facto Annexation in the Jordan Valley
7. Bonus Reads

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West Bank Annexation: Israeli Military Cedes Control of West Bank Civilian Affairs to Settler

In an act of de jure annexation of the West Bank, on May 29th the head of the Israeli Civil Administration signed an order ceding a significant part of the military’s authority over affairs in the West Bank to a newly created, civilian administrator who reports to Bezalel Smotrich. Filling that role is Hillel Roth,  a close ally of Smotrich and resident of the radical, violent Yitzhar settlement. Roth was appointed as Deputy head of the Civil Administration and now has authority over the enforcement of building regulations in settlements and outposts; West Bank real estate transactions; government property; land and water arrangements; protection of holy places (except the Cave of the Patriarchs, Rachel’s Tomb and Samuel’s Tomb); forestry laws; tourism; public bathing; planning of cities, villages and construction; some land registration processes; management and administration of regional councils; and many more.

Smotrich stressed that these changes are meant to be long lasting, and that if the current government changes, the architecture of annexation will remain.

This is a significant continuation of the transfer of control over the West Bank from the Israeli military – which has acted as the occupying power of the West Bank since 1967 – to Israeli civilian government elected by Israelis (and not Palestinians living in the West Bank) to advance Israeli state interests. It’s reasonable to expect that Roth, working in tandem with Smotrich, will continue to advance annexation, accelerate settlement construction, outpost legalization, and enforcement against Palestinian construction. To learn more about why this transfer of power matters, listen to a new FMEP podcast featuring FMEP Fellow Peter Beinart speaks with Professor Yael Berda.

Longtime anti-settlement activist Yehuda Shaul described the step as “de jure annexation,” claiming that “Israeli civilian governance has been extended into the West Bank under Smotrich’s guidance.”

Mairav Zonszein, a senior analyst for Israel-Palestine at Crisis Group, told The Guardian: 

“The big story is that this is no longer ‘creeping annexation’ or ‘de facto annexation’, it is actual annexation…This is the legalisation [and] normalisation of a long-term policy. Smotrich is basically re-establishing the way in which the occupation works by taking a large part out of the hands of the military…Half the people he has brought in to the defence ministry are from [the pro-settler Israeli NGO] Regavim. The same people who worked at Regavim to disposess Palestinians in Area C are now in government positions.”

In Foreign Policy, David Rosenberg writes: 

“Control over public bathing may seem like a minor business on par with dog catching. But it is not: A big part of the contest for the future of the West Bank is about demographics—increasing the settler population—and control of land. The Settlements Administration is meant to give the settlers the tools to do that more effectively. The natural springs that dot the West Bank serve Palestinian farmers as well as Israeli bathers and constitute one of many battlegrounds for control of the land and its resources.”

In Secretly Recorded Tapes, Smotrich Confirms Israel is Annexing the West Bank via Bureaucracy

At a settler event on June 9th, members of the Peace Now team secretly recorded a speech Bezalel Smotrich made in which he detailed how the Israeli government is bringing the West Bank under Isreal’s civilian/domestic government through a series of administrative moves that were designed to obscure Israel’s annexation from the world, making it appear that the military is still in charge. Smotrich described the efforts as “mega dramatic” saying that the government is cementing its control over the Area C of the West Bank by transferring powers from the military to civilians, but doing it in a way that: 

“would be easier to swallow in the political and legal context, so that people wouldn’t say that we are now doing an annexation, and sovereignty, etc., so we did not change the legal status of the land. The military commander is still the sovereign.”

Smotrich went on to detail what the government has accomplished over the past several years, including the establishment of the Settlement Administration and the transfer of powersf from the military to that civilian body, establishing a legalization bypass route to grant outposts authorization, and the upcoming transfer of legal authority from the military to an official under Smotrich’s control. To read more about these moves, see Peace Now’s reporting.

Smotrich’s ultimate goal is, of course, to have no distinction between Israel’s governance regime over 48 Israel and the whole West Bank, not just Area C. A Palestinian settlement expert, Khalil Tafakji,  told Mondoweiss that the next logical step is for Smortich to set his sights on Area B, where the Palestinian Authority is empowered to oversee civilian affairs.

Peace Now said in a statement:

“Smotrich said out loud what Netanyahu is trying to hide. While all eyes are on what the Israeli government is doing in Gaza, they are also actively pursuing annexation of the West Bank. Since the war began over two dozen new outposts have been established, and a similar number of Palestinian communities have been forcibly displaced. And in a blatant violation of international law, the government has transferred power in the Occupied West Bank from the army to a civilian body. This illegal act of annexation makes clear that two legal systems are now officially at play for the Palestinians and one for Israeli settlers.”

Michael Sfard, an Israeli human rights lawyer, told The Guardian: 

“The bottom line is that [for] anyone who thought the question of annexation was foggy, this order should end any doubts. What this order does is transfers vast areas of administrative power from the military commander to Israeli civilians working for the government.”

The Haaretz Editorial Board writes:

“Netanyahu, Smotrich and their colleagues are annexing the West Bank right now. They are instituting apartheid and destroying the two-state solution. And if they succeed, Israel will cease to exist as a democratic country.”

Israel Authorizes Five Outposts, Hints at Thousands of Units & More Annexation to Come

On June 27th, the Israeli Security Cabinet approved the retro legalization of five outposts along with a series of punitive sanctions on the Palestinian Authority. In announcing the decision, Smotrich said the Cabinet also approved the advancement of plans for thousands of new settlement units across the West Bank as well as forcible transfer of authority over a specific West Bank nature reserve in Area B from the Palestinian Authority to Israel (an act of de jure annexation). According to the Times of Israel the nature preserve, which is not named, has been an obsession of Regavim and other settler groups which allege the Palestinian Authority has been building there (entrenching a Palestinian presence on land the settlers want) and damaging heritage sites – which is a common and often baseless accusation settlers level against Palestinians.

The Prime Minister’s office has not independently confirmed the details of the Cabinet’s decisions, but the Cabinet Secretary Yehuda Fuchs did confirm the decision to legalize the five outposts. The outposts set to be legalized as full-fledge settlements – which will be afforded the ability to expand its territory, receive Israeli services, etc etc – are:

1. Evyatar, which was built on a strategic hilltop named Mount Sabih, located just south of Nablus on land historically belonging to nearby Palestinian villages Beita, Yatma, and Qablan. The history of the Evyatar outpost and the Israeli government’s efforts to legalize were headline news in 2021, with Palestinians staging regular protests against the outpost and settlers along with the IDF violently attacking those protests. Since 2021, the Israeli government has been “examining” the land in order to find a basis by which to declare the area as “state land” and allow settlers to once again live there. For further background, see here.
2. Sde Efraim;
3. Givat Asaf, located east of Ramallah;
4. Heletz, in the southern West Bank;
5. Adorayim, in the southern West Bank.

The proposal for authorizing these outposts was first promoted as a response to European states – Norway, Ireland, Spain, and Slovenia – announcing recognition of a Palestinian state. 

As a reminder, the Israeli government has spent decades finding means by which to grant authorization to outposts that settlers have illegally built (oftentimes with the open encouragement and funding of the government) throughout the West Bank. The outposts that, to date, are still illegal under Israeli law for the most part are either newly constructed outposts, or they are located on land that even the Israeli government has in the past recognized as privately owned Palestinian land. For the past five years at least, the Israeli government has been inventing new legal bases by which to expropriate privately owned Palestinian land in order to authorize those remaining and new illegal outposts – even tasking government teams to design legal pathways for each outpost to receive authorization. Newly invented legal tools have included most notably the Regulation Law (which was later overturned by the Israeli High Court), and the Market Regulation Principle, and the findings/recommendations of the 2018 Zandberg Report. It remains unclear what basis will be used for these five new outposts set for legalization, or if the Israeli government intends 

​​Knesset Forms Caucus to Push for Resettlement of Gaza

Two members of the Knesset recently launched the “Knesset Caucus for the Renewal of Settlement in the Gaza Strip.” The Caucus is dedicated to push legislation and policy in favor of establishing Jewish settlements in Gaza, an increasingly popular idea even beyond settlers and their allies. A recent survey by the Pew Research Center found that 50% of Jewish Israelis support occupying the Gaza Strip after the war against Hamas ends — although it did not explicitly ask about settlement.

Canada Sanctions Prominent Settler Groups & Leaders

On June 27th, the government of Canada announced sanctions against 5 settler entities and 7 individuals, including prominent settler groups like Amana, Lehava, and the Hilltop Youth, as well as prominent settler leaders, including Daniella Weiss. Canada is the first foreign government to issue sanctions against Weiss or Amana, which is one of  the most powerful and well resourced settler organizations behind the illegal construction of outposts in the West Bank. Amna has also received Israeli government funding despite its very public involvement in illegal activities.

In a statement the Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said:

“We remain deeply concerned by extremist settler violence in the West Bank and condemn such acts, not only for the significant impact they have on Palestinian lives, but also for the corrosive impact they have on prospects for lasting peace. We call on authorities to ensure the protection of civilians and hold perpetrators of such violence accountable.”​​

Israeli High Court Hears Petition Challenging De Facto Annexation in the Jordan Valley 

On June 22nd, the Israeli High Court held a hearing on a case submitted by Palestinian herders in the Jordan Valley who have had their livestock seized by the Jordan Valley Regional Council. The Palestinians, whose petition is supported by Yesh Din, argue that the settler regional council does not have authority to enforce its bylaws on Palestinians. 

The three-judge panel appeared to at least partially sympathize with the legal argument of the Palestinians, which assert that the settlers do not have jurisdiction to regulate Palestinians or the land. Instead, one of the judges asked the settlers why they do not just call the Israeli Civil Administration to handle the issue.

Since October 7th, Yesh Din has documented several instances of settlers conspiring with the Jordan Valley Regional Council to confiscate herds of livestock belonging to Palestinians based on the claim that they are illegally grazing in the Regional Council’s jurisdiction, and then demanding exorbitant fees for their return. Yesh Din identifies this not only as an illegal practice, but as a policy “designed to annex and take over Areas C while pushing Palestinians out…to force Palestinian communities from their homes.

The IDF’s own legal council has issued a legal opinion confirming that settler municipalities do not have jurisdiction or authority to enforce any laws or regulations against Palestinians. But the settler regional council rejected this opinion, saying that its jurisdiction applies to an area of land (and anyone/thing who enters that land) – not just a certain type of people (i.e. Israeli settlers). 

Yesh Din explained why this is a significant legal claim:

“The danger posed by the pretension of the regional council, which seeks to hold the power to regulate the grazing of Palestinian herders, has enormous ramifications. This is a new and predatory form of economic  violence by settlers and an authority that has distinct annexationist aspects, as it expresses the degradation of the military commander’s responsibility in the occupied territory and the assignment of its authorities to civilian governmental bodies.”

Bonus Reads

1. “A settler shot my husband. Then Israel bulldozed my childhood home“ (+972)
2. “Is the US poised to sanction an Israeli minister for the first time?” (The Times of Israel)
3. “Settler Real Estate Company Allegedly Sold Land It Doesn’t Own. Israel Threatens Legal Action” (Haaretz)
4. “Israeli legal team seeks clarification on US sanctions against protest group” (JNS)