Welcome to FMEP’s Weekly Settlement Report, covering everything you need to know about Israeli settlement activity this week.
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**The regular FMEP Settlement & Annexation report is on break, and is planned to return around the first week of August. In the meantime, we are pleased to offer you links to the main settlement-related stories of the past week**
June 9, 2022
2. UN Commission of Inquiry Issues 1st Report
3. Renewing [or not] Israeli Legalized Apartheid in the West Bank
4. More Settlements, Land Grab, Apartheid, Violence
5. Jerusalem
6. Masafer Yatta Ethnic Cleansing
7. Bonus Read
E-1 & Al-Walaja
Alert – Israeli Authorities Advance New Settlement Plan on Al-Walaja Lands (Ir Amim & Bimkom, 6/9/22) [“The Israel Civil Administration (ICA) has indicated its intent to deposit for public review the outline plan (TPS 401-4-1) for “Har Gilo West,” a new settlement south of Jerusalem on Al-Walaja lands (Area C), which will abut the built-up section of the village. Unless halted, the plan will be formally published for deposit in the public records within days, kicking off the 60-day period for submitting objections – a crucial step in advancing outline plans towards their approval.”] Also see: Israel to build new settlement near Bethlehem (Middle East Monitor 6/8/22)
An Urgent and Dire Warning about E-1 (Terrestrial Jerusalem 6/8/22) [“Overshadowed by events on the ground around the killing of Palestinian journalist, Shireen Abu Akleh and the Jerusalem Day Flag March, a major development occurred on Jerusalem Day itself which has potentially devastating ramifications. The Government of Israel announced that on July 18, the final hearing on the notorious settlement project of E-1, would be held by the Higher Jerusalem Planning Committee. If, as anticipated, the Plan is approved by the committee, we will be just two strokes of a pen away from the final statutory approval of E-1.]”
UN Commission of Inquiry Issues 1st Report
The Report:
Text of report – including a lot of facts/analysis related to settlements, settler violence, etc.
New Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel, issues first report (UN/OCHA 6/76/22)
Occupation, discrimination driving Israel-Palestine conflict, recurring violence (UN 6/7/22)
Media coverage:
UN-mandated rights inquiry rebukes Israel for seeking ‘complete control’ (Reuters 6/7/22)
UN probe blames Israel for perpetuating conflict with Palestinians (Times of Israel 6/7/22)
Responses:
MFA response to the report of the Human Rights Council’s Commission of Inquiry published today (Israeli Foreign Ministry 6/8/22) [“The Commission of Inquiry and the biased report it published are the result of the HRC’s extreme anti-Israel bias. The Commission members, who claim to be objective, were only appointed to their roles because of their public and well-known anti-Israel stances, in direct opposition to the rules set out by the United Nations.”]
US slams ‘one-sided’ UN probe blaming Israel for perpetuating the conflict (Times of Israel 6/8/22) [official press statement]
Statement on the Human Rights Council Commission of Inquiry on Gaza Report (UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office 6/8/22) [“The cause of advancing human rights in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories is not served by the disproportionate focus on Israel.”]
Renewing [or not] Israeli Legalized Apartheid in the West Bank
Before the vote:
‘Is there an alternative?’: MK Rozin says Meretz has no option on settlement bill (Times of Israel 6/4/22)
Israel’s government faces survival test with settlement bill (Al-Monitor 6/3/22)
In doomsday move, Knesset may affirm settlers don’t live in Israel – analysis [“To show that Bennett’s government is weak, politicians may reject the law that gives settlers in the West Bank the same legislative status as an Israeli resident.”] (Jerusalem Post 6/3/22)
Israel: Doubt over bill ‘constituting apartheid’ in West Bank throws government off (Middle East Eye 6/2/22)
Report: MK Silman to oppose bill renewing application of Israeli law to settlers (Times of Israel 6/2/22)
After the vote:
Want to dismantle Israeli apartheid? Start with this law (+972 Magazine 6/8/22)
What the failure of legal jurisdiction bill could mean for Israelis in Judea and Samaria [spoiler: not much] (Jewish News Syndicate 6/8/22)
Israel: Self-interest the winner in government’s settler bill defeat (Middle East Eye 6/8/22)
The Settler-Protection Law No Israeli Government Can Survive Without (Jewschool 6/8/22) [“It is crucial to emphasize that that the discrimination embodied in these regulations is based on ethnicity, not merely citizenship. Settlers entitled to the range of Israeli laws listed in the regulations include both Israeli citizens and people ‘entitled to immigrate to Israel under the Law of Return.’”]
Smotrich: Our first priority is to overthrow the government [“Religious Zionism leader Bezalel Smotrich explained his party’s vote last night against the Judea and Samaria Law: ‘Our first commitment to Israel and the Settlement enterprise is to overthrow the government. To my friends in the Settlement enterprise: The sky will not fall down just because of this law.’”] (Arutz Sheva 6/7/22)
Settler leader says Netanyahu and allies ‘spitting on West Bank settlers’ (YNet 6/8/22)
Sa’ar to try again to advance settler law bill, admits coalition may be on last legs (Times of Israel 6/7/22)
Israel’s Government Teeters Again, Losing Vote on Law that Supports West Bank Settlers (New York Times 6/7/22)
Lapid says MKs who can’t back coalition ‘should leave,’ after some torpedo key bill (Times of Israel 6/7/22)
Judea and Samaria law fails in the Knesset [“2 govt members, MKs Ganaim and Rinawie Zoabi, vote against bill applying Israeli law in Judea and Samaria. Silman absent from vote.“] (Arutz Sheva 6/6/22)
Israel: Failure of settlement bill would create ‘absolute chaos’ for West Bank settlers (i24 News 6/6/22)
Israeli coalition suffers loss, faces uncertain prospects (Associated Press 6/6/22)
More Settlements, Land Grab, Apartheid, Violence
Israel settlers rebuild illegal outpost in occupied West Bank (Middle East Monitor 6/9/22)
Regavim: Israel has failed to formulate policy on Judea and Samaria (Arutz Sheva 6/9/22)
Israeli settlers torch wheat crops in Nablus-district town (WAFA 6/9/22)
Settlers uproot and break about 190 olive seedlings near Turmusaya – vandalizing grove for second time this year (B’Tselem 6/8/22)
***Under Settler Pressure, Israel Extends Antiquities Authority’s Powers Into West Bank (Haaretz 6/7/22)***
Settlers threaten 10 new outposts during Biden visit amid Evyatar dispute (Israel Hayom 6/6/22)
Palestinians in a northern West Bank village prevented by Israeli soldiers from working on their lands (WAFA 6/7/22)
Israel seizes a large tract of Palestinian cultivated land northwest of Hebron (WAFA 6/6/22)
Hamas slams Israel’s decision to build 820 settlement units (Middle East Monitor 6/4/22)
Jerusalem
Israeli court rules in favor of settler takeover of high-profile Christian hotel in Jerusalem (WAFA 6/9/22) Also see: It’s Final: Ateret Cohanim’s Purchase of Jerusalem Old City Properties is Legal (Jewish Press 6/9/22); Israeli Supreme Court Supports the Radicals Against the Patriarchate of Jerusalem ( Patriarchate of Jerusalem 6/8/22)
EU Heads of Mission and likeminded countries visit Wadi Qaddoum in East Jerusalem (WAFA 6/7/22)
Ir Amim on Twitter 6/7/22: Thread – “In light of the impending demolition of a 4-story residential building in Wadi Qaddum, EJ – home to over 70 Palestinians – representatives of EUREP, EU Member States & likeminded countries along w @ochaopt & @UNRWA met today w the families facing imminent displacement. Their building is subject to demolition under the pretext of lacking a bldg permit. Construction permits are nearly impossible for Palestinians to procure bc of discriminatory Israeli urban planning policies in EJ that are driven by political and demographic considerations. The families called upon the international community to compel Israel to fulfill its obligation to uphold their basic right to housing and shelter. #SaveSilwan”
Imminent Israeli demolition of a building in East Jerusalem may leave 74 Palestinians homeless – UN (WAFA 6/6/22)
Masafer Yatta Ethnic Cleansing
Basel al-Adra 6/9/22: Tweet – “In January, the occupation police raided one of the towns in my area and with a truck ran over and killed Suleiman Hathlin, an activist for freedom in Masafer Yatta. Today, settlers destroyed his tomb. The hatred and racism continues even after his death.” [with photos]
Life in the firing zone: the occupation of Masafer Yatta (The Guardian 6/8/22)
Basel al-Adra 6/7/22: Tweet – “Today a soldier entered Taban, a village in Masafer Yatta, and gave residents demolition orders for all they have: Their homes, water wells, roads – to be destroyed probably this week. A community erased. WE’RE BEING ETHNICALLY CLEANSED AND THE WORLD’S SILENT. SaveMasaferYatta”
Israeli military forces Palestinian to demolish section of his home in Masafer Yatta area (WAFA 6/6/22)
Bonus Read
The Israel Defense Forces and Settlements Are One and the Same (Israel Harel/Haaretz 6/7/22) [“Because military doctrine, the outcome of Zionist ideology, determines that ‘the army and the settlements are one,’ any deviation from that is surrender to politicization.”]