Israel is stepping up its effort toenclose Jerusalem with a ring of barriersand settlements designed to sever Pale-stinian East Jerusalem from the WestBank. Recent announcements of signif-icant settlement expansion in the areasin and around Neve Ya’acov and theformer site of the airport at Atarot sig-nify a major push by Israel to link EastJerusalem-area settlements on bothsides of the separation barrier, to estab-lish an unbroken belt of settlementalong East Jerusalem’s northern perime-ter, and perhaps of most significance, totie Road 60 settlements—from Ma’aleAdumim north to Shilo and Eli—tothe Tel Aviv metropolis and the coastalplain. (See map, page 3)

Within the next two months, groundmay be broken for a just-approved proj-ect of 1,200 units—accommodating apopulation of 7,000—on land under thejurisdiction of the West Bank settlementof Giva Binyamin/ Adam. The plannedexpansion is located west of the separa-tion barrier while the settlement itselfsits to its east (see inset map and mapon page 3). No plan exists to connectthe two areas across the barrier. Rather,

the new development will be linkedwith the East Jerusalem settlement ofNeve Ya’acov.

In addition, a new settlement of11,000 to 13,000 units—enough tohouse more than 60,000 people—is inthe initial planning stages for the site ofthe shuttered Atarot airport, abuttingthe separation barrier and the Qalandiyacheckpoint. The idea has yet to be vet-ted by all relevant planning authorities,so construction is not imminent. Ifapproved, however, the project will bethe largest settlement undertaking inEast Jerusalem since June 1967.

Like the nearby West Bank settle-ment of Kochav Ya’acov, east of the bar-rier, the Atarot settlement would beaimed at the exploding population oflarge ultra-Orthodox families in searchof affordable housing. Settlements thattarget this market are already amongthe largest and fastest growing commu-nities in the West Bank.

A tunnel linking Road 443—a mainartery west to the coastal plain—and

Route 60—the main West Bank settle-ment artery—is a key element of theAtarot plan, providing settlers residingeast of the separation barrier fast trans-port linkage to the Israeli coast. Com-pletion of this connection would fur-ther signify Israel’s intention to remainpermanently in settlements in the heartof the West Bank.

Kochav Ya’acov, also know as TelZion, is an exploding community clos-ing in on the Palestinian area of KufrAqab just to its west. Only a few hun-dred meters separate the outermosthouses of the two locales. Kufr Aqab,although part of annexed East Jerusa-

lem, is on the “Palestinian” side of theseparation barrier, requiring residents topass through checkpoints in order togain entry to the city center.

Kufr Aqab is growing, with multi-story apartment buildings, almost allconstructed without municipal permits,choking the once-quiet village. Themunicipality has constructed newschools and health services, in part tomaintain a continuing presence in thearea despite Kufr Aqab’s physical sepa-ration from the city.

Kufr Aqab residents hope that thenew road connecting the yet-to-be-approved Atarot settlement to KochavYa’acov and Route 60 will include anaccess road for the village, mitigatingthe impact of their location north of theseparation barrier and linking themonce again with Jerusalem via a roadnetwork that Israel is unlikely to surren-der in any political arrangement, therebyassuring their now-threatened status asresidents of the city. ◆

REPORT ON

ISRAELI SETTLEMENTIN THE OCCUPIED TERRITORIES

A B i m o n t h l y P u b l i c a t i o n o f t h e Fo u n d a t i o n f o r M i d d l e E a s t Pe a c e

Volume 17 Number 2 March-April 2007

A NEW ERA OF SETTLEMENT EXPANSION IN JERUSALEM AND ENVIRONS BEGINS

Sign up to receive the Report by e-mail, to be notified of events inWashington, D.C., and more. Visitus at www.fmep.org.

Also in this issue:

Jerusalem and Route 60 Map 3Settlement Time Line 4–5Creating Facts—An Update 6

2 ❖ Report on Israeli Settlement March-April 2007

TO OUR READERSFOUNDATION FOR

MIDDLE EAST PEACE

Merle Thorpe, Jr.Founder

(1917–1994)

Philip C. Wilcox, Jr.President

Geoffrey AronsonDirector, Research and Publications, Editor, Report onIsraeli Settlement in the OccupiedTerritories

Nitzan GoldbergerEditorial Assistant

Niina NykanenIntern

TRUSTEES

Lucius D. BattleLandrum R. BollingCalvin H. Cobb, Jr.James J. CromwellPeter GubserStephen HartwellRichard S.T. MarshRichard W. MurphyJean C. NewsomGail PressbergWilliam B. QuandtNicholas A. Veliotes

The Foundation, a non-profit I.R.C. 501(c)(3)organization, supports peaceand security for Israelis andPalestinians through mutualrecognition and a negotiateddivision of historic Pales-tine. It publishes the bi-monthly Report on IsraeliSettlement in the OccupiedTerritories.

Copyright © 2007

Supporters of an early return to Israeli-Palestinian peace talks were encouraged bySecretary of State Condoleezza Rice’sannouncement before her recent trip inMarch to the region that a “political hori-zon” was needed to break the seven-yearstalemate.

Rice’s proposal seemed to acknowledgethe failure of previous efforts to createpeace through a step-by-step “process” and“confidence-building.” It also suggested theneed for a credible and attractive “hori-zon”—defining a final status peace thatmeets the basic needs of both sides—torestore hope and to build political supportfor negotiations.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert,however, told Secretary Rice that he wouldmeet regularly, but not negotiate, withPLO chairman Abbas, and would not dis-cuss borders, Jerusalem, and refugees—three critical issues that must be part of anyfinal status “horizon.” Olmert’s positionshould come as no surprise. Israel’s contin-uing construction of barriers, roads, and

settlements in the West Bank, includingthose around Jerusalem described in thisReport, create “facts on the ground” mostlyunrelated to Israel’s security. The purpose isalmost certainly to resolve the issues ofborders and Jerusalem unilaterally, withoutregard to Palestinian needs and aspirations.No one believes that any Palestinian leader-ship would accept as the basis for peace anda Palestinian state Israel’s current design fordomination and control of the West Bankand Jerusalem.

Given this reality, the real “politicalhorizon” for Israelis and Palestinians looksbleak, promising only further conflict. Ifthe United States is serious about peacemaking, it will have to propose, and pursuevigorously, its own policies on final statusissues to create a more promising “horizon”for Israelis and Palestinians and to alsoreflect American values and interests.

TO OUR READERS

—————— ◆ ——————

Olmert Visits the Great Wall of China

Ha’aretz, January 8, 2007

March-April 2007 Report on Israeli Settlement ❖ 3

4 ❖ Report on Israeli Settlement March-April 2007

November 26 Israel’s High Court ofJustice rules in favor of the planned separa-tion barrier route near Bir Nabala north ofJerusalem. (Yediot Aharonot)

November 29 Barrier contractors beginleveling land belonging to the village ofArtas near the Efrata settlement. (OCHA)

Palestinians stone a settler car passingthrough the village of Deir Istiya, injuringtwo. (OHCA)

December 1 A Hebron settler recentlycaught on film harassing the Abu Ayshafamily is charged with the assault of aPalestinian boy in 2005. (Ha’aretz)

December 2 A six-year-old Palestinian boyis shot by settlers while crossing Road 60near the settlement of Haggai. (OCHA)

December 4 Settlers from Haggai settle-ment in Hebron uproot 100 olive treesbelonging to villagers in Qalqas. (OCHA)

December 5 Israel’s education ministerYuli Tamir orders that new geography text-book maps include the Green Line (the June1967 border between the West Bank andIsrael). (Ha’aretz)

December 11 Arutz 7 reports on a new hi-tech personal ID security system for use atWest Bank checkpoints. Eligible residentsregister their cars with the army, and as theyarrive at a checkpoint, they dial a toll-freenumber, enter a secret code, and assumingthe system recognizes them, drive directlythrough the checkpoint.

December 13 An Israeli security guard isstabbed by a Palestinian at the Qalandiyacheckpoint. (Yediot Aharonot)

Ha’aretz reports on a letter from Israeli

attorney general Meni Mazuz to DefenseMinister Amir Peretz criticizing the minis-ter’s inaction on unauthorized, illegal settle-ments. In it, Mazuz notes that betweenJanuary and September 2006, 168 illegalbuildings were identified in settlements andoutposts and that the Civil Administrationhad demolished 10 times as many illegalPalestinian houses as illegal Israeli dwellingsin West Bank settlements. From 1997 to2006, 1,519 illegal Palestinian buildings weredemolished, compared with 150 in settle-ments.

Israel’s High Court of Justice rejects anappeal issued by Palestinian residents of al-Ram and Dahiyat al-Barid regarding theconstruction of the security barrier aroundtheir north Jerusalem neighborhoods. Thedisruption caused to the residents by thebarrier is deemed “proportionate” to thesecurity afforded Israelis. (Yediot Aharonot)

Settlers from Tene level and mark with largestones 13 dunums of agricultural landbelonging to Palestinian farmers from al-Dahariya. The owners file a complaint withIsraeli authorities. (OCHA)

December 14 Israeli’s High Court ofJustice rules that the IDF must dismantlethe concrete road barrier along Roads 317and 60 in south Hebron within six months.The 82-centimeter high and 41-kilometerlong barricade runs from the Tene settle-ment in the west to the Karmel settlementin the east. (OCHA)

Settlers from Susiya attempt to deny accessto a Palestinian farmer from Samoa and agroup of international volunteers who wereplanting the trees. (OCHA)

December 15 Settlers from Susiya uproot

70 olive trees belonging to a Palestinianfarmer from Samoa. (OCHA)

December 16 Settlers enter Madama vil-lage, Nablus, firing in the air and clashingwith Palestinian residents. Israeli soldierslater evacuate the settlers. (OCHA)

Armed settlers from the Avigil outpost raidthe village of Am Fagarah, Hebron.(OCHA)

December 17 Settlers from Pnei Heverburn 200 olive and almond trees belongingto a Palestinian farmer from Bani Na’im.(OCHA)

December 18 A dozen settlers who hadbeen evacuated from the Homesh settlementin the northern West Bank in September2005 return to the site for Hanukkah. TheIDF and police take no action to preventsettlers from reaching the area. (YediotAharonot)

December 20 Israeli settlers fromImmanuel begin leveling land belonging toPalestinians from Jinsafut (Qalqilya) for theexpansion of the settlement. (OCHA)

December 24 Palestinians throw stones ata settler’s car passing through the Huwwaravillage, Nablus, injuring the settler. (OCHA)

December 25 The Israeli DefenseMinistry approves building a new settlementin Maskiot in the northern Jordan Valley,where a few settlers already live. It is tohouse 20 families from the former Gaza set-tlement of Shirat Hayam and another 10families from other Gaza settlements. Theplans include the construction of 30dwellings. (Ha’aretz)

Ha’aretz reports on a petition to the HighCourt of Justice in which the IDF offers to“voluntarily transfer” the residents of twovillages in the West Bank located within theterritorial perimeter claimed by the adjacentsettlement of Alfei Menashe in order toavoid disruption over the route of the sepa-ration barrier. The offer came after the court(more than a year prior) demanded a changeon the existing barrier route.

December 26 Orders are given to settlersin Hebron to evacuate four illegally builthomes. (Ha’aretz)

December 29 Ha’aretz reports that theCivil Administration has identified some200 mobile homes placed at West Bank out-

SETTLEMENT TIME LINE

West Bank Settler Population, December 2006 268,379West Bank Settler Population Rate of Increase, 2006 5.8 percentUnauthorized Settlement Dwellings Demolished, 1997–2006 150West Bank Palestinian Dwellings Demolished, 1997–2006 1,519Apartment Sales in West Bank Settlements,

January-November 2006 433New Approval for Housing at Har Homa 983 unitsNumber of Physical Obstacles to Palestinian Movement

in the West Bank 540Tenders Issued for Expansion of Ma’ale Adumim 44 units

March-April 2007 Report on Israeli Settlement ❖ 5

posts and settlements without permits sincethe war with Hizballah in July. The figurerepresents a substantial increase over the fewdozen trailers set up in the first half of theyear.

Ma’ariv reports that apartment sales for theperiod of January to November 2006dropped by 0.7 percent in West Bank settle-ments. Of all the apartments sold during thisperiod, 3.6 percent (433 apartments) weresold in the West Bank.

December 30 The IDF closes the gate atthe entrance of Jamma’in village, Nablus,and at the eastern entrance of Madra villagefor five hours after a Molotov cocktail isthrown at a settler’s car on Road 505.(OCHA)

January 2 IDF and police forces removeelectricity lines laid on private Palestinianlands in Thulth by residents of the Elmatanoutpost following a petition to the HighCourt of Justice. (Ma’ariv)

January 3 The Israeli High Court ofJustice issues an eviction order for residentsof al-Hadidiya in the Jordan Valley after rul-ing that the village’s population of about 80people constituted a threat to the security ofresidents of the Roi settlement. (OCHA)

January 9 Israel’s Interior Ministry reportsthat the West Bank settler population grewby 5.8 percent in 2006, more than quadruplethe 1.4 percent in 2005. There were 268,379Israelis living in the West Bank at the end of2006, compared with 253,748 in 2005.(Ha’aretz)

Defense Minister Peretz orders a halt toconstruction of the separation barrier in thesouthern West Bank in order to reviewclaims by members of the Knesset that thebarrier is harmful to the landscape and towildlife. (Yediot Aharonot)

January 10–16 IDF soldiers and settlersfrom Beit Hadassah in Hebron preventPalestinians and internationals on multipleoccasions from walking on Shuhada Street,despite a December 25, 2006, declarationconfirming the right of Palestinian pedestri-an access to it. (OCHA)

January 10 A few dozen Peace Nowactivists protest against new roads beingpaved and foundations being laid for perma-nent structures in the Jordan Valley settle-ment of Maskiot. (Yediot Aharonot)

The IDF issues five eviction orders toPalestinians from Khirbet Tana in Nablus,declaring the area state land. The IDF alsoissues two demolition orders for Palestinianhomes built without permits in al-Aqaba(Tubas). (OCHA)

January 11 Israel’s High Court of Justicefines three construction firms about $23,000for building a road to the site of unautho-rized West Bank settlement construction.(Ha’aretz)

January 12 Kol Ha’Ir reports the approvalby the Jerusalem municipality commissionfor planning and construction of a plan tobuild 983 housing units in the Har Homasettlement in a new area between Tzur Bahirand Bethlehem.

January 13 Settlers puncture the tires onmore than 20 cars belonging to Palestinianresidents of Ras al-Amud, Jerusalem. (Ma’anNews)

Palestinians throw Molotov cocktails at anIsraeli bus traveling west of Ramallah. Noinjuries or damages are reported. (YediotAharonot)

Settlers from Hebron’s Beit Hadassah settle-ment beat and injure a 13-year-oldPalestinian boy. (OCHA)

January 14 OCHA reports 540 physicalclosure obstacles restricting Palestinianmovement in the West Bank and EastJerusalem as of August 1, 2006, up from 376during the same time in 2005.

January 15 The Israeli Construction andHousing Ministry publishes tenders for theconstruction of 44 new housing units in theMa’ale Adumim settlement. (Ha’aretz)

Settlers damage a water pipeline in the vil-lage of Duma, Nablus. The IDF evacuatesthe settlers. (OCHA)

IDF soldiers begin leveling eight dunams ofland belonging to Palestinians from Burinvillage near the Huwwara checkpoint toexpand the checkpoint. In a separate inci-dent, the IDF imposes a curfew on Huwwa-ra village, Nablus, for 13 hours after settlervehicles are stoned on Road 60. (OCHA)

January 16 Yediot Aharonot reports that theIDF has removed 44 gravel barriers in theWest Bank in preceding weeks to easerestrictions on the Palestinian population.

The IDF and border police demolish a

Palestinian home built without a permit inSilwan, Jerusalem. (OCHA)

January 17 Yediot Aharonot reports onclashes between Palestinians and settlersnear Kedumim after the settlers tried to lay awater pipe connecting the settlement to thenearby Havat Gilad outpost on land belong-ing to the village of Jit.

The Israeli army freezes a November 19order prohibiting Israelis and foreign nation-als from transporting Palestinians in theWest Bank in their vehicles without specialpermission. (Ha’aretz)

Israeli authorities demolish a dwellingreportedly being built without a permit inal-Tur, Jerusalem. (OCHA)

January 18 Defense Minister Peretz freezesall building plans in the Jordan Valley settle-ment of Maskiot. (Arutz 7)

Ma’ariv reports that amid tensions betweensettlers and IDF West Bank commanderYair Naveh, radical rabbis from the religiouscourt for nation and state affairs cast a deathsentence on Naveh.

January 19 Approximately 50 settlers setup an encampment in Yad Yair, next to theWest Bank settlement of Dolev, on the siteof a burnt synagogue trailer to protest of thetorching of the structure. (Yediot Aharonot)

January 21 The IDF issues an amendmentto military orders requisitioning an addition-al 19 square meters of land from the villagesof Azmut and Dayr al-Hatab to installobservation equipment around the settle-ment of Elon Moreh. (OCHA)

January 22 Israeli authorities and borderpolice demolish an eight-unit apartmentbuilding in the Jerusalem neighborhood ofSur Bahir. (OCHA)

January 23 Two Palestinian dwellings aredemolished in Sawahreh Sharqiyya,Jerusalem, for being built without permits.The IDF demolishes five houses in al-Jiftlik,Jericho, for reportedly being built without apermit. (OCHA)

January 30 Ha’aretz reports that PrimeMinister Olmert has approved moving theseparation barrier at least five kilometerseastward from the Green Line in the area ofModi’in Ilit to include the settlements ofNili and Na’aleh and create two Palestinianenclaves containing about 20,000 people.

SETTLEMENT TIME LINE

During 2006, settlement expansion occurred throughoutthe occupied territories and on both sides of the separationbarrier. Israel’s Interior Ministry reports that during 2006 thesettler population in the West Bank increased by 5.8 percent,from 253,371 to 268,163. The fastest growing settlements(according to percentage increase) were Avnat, Givat Benja-min (near Jerusalem), Neguhot, Rosh Zurim, Rotem, andTene (where settlers from Gaza relocated). Even Immanuel, along-troubled settlement comprised of poorer, ultra-Orthodoxsettlers, grew by 4 percent, to 2,700. The population of Ma’aleAdumim increased by 1,644, to 31,615. During 2007 Modi’inIlit, which grew by 4,000—more than 11 percent—to 30,425,may well emerge as the largest West Bank settlement (outsideEast Jerusalem). In contrast Ariel, which is noted for its largecommunity of emigrants ( Jewish and Christian) from theCommonwealth Independent States and in which expansionis ongoing, saw its population decline by 50.

New Settlement Outposts Expand

The more than 100 new settlement locales establishedsince 1996 have a population of 2,000. Ha’aretz reported theCivil Administration announcing that during the last sixmonths of 2006, “since the outbreak of the war in Lebanonand under the cover of the IDF’s increased activities in thenorth,” settlers placed more than 200 mobile homes inauthorized and unauthorized settlements, far more than thefigure for 2005. In November, settlers installed 69 mobilehomes, followed by 83 in December, all without properauthorization.

Construction Update

In 2006, tenders were issued for 952 housing units, com-pared to 1,184 in 2005. During the first nine months of 2006,construction began on 1,272 units, compared to 1,727 in all of2005 and 1,926 in 2004. There are currently 3,000 unitsunder construction, enough to house an additional 12,000people. Sales in West Bank settlements during 2006 repre-sented approximately 7 percent of the national market. Morethan eight of ten purchasers in the West Bank and GolanHeights were new settlers, moving from locations withinIsrael. In contrast, in Jerusalem and Haifa only three in tenwere newcomers. About one-half of all sales occurred inModi’in Ilit. Most construction continued to be associatedwith the largest settlements, such as Beitar Ilit (which grew byalmost 7 percent last year to 28,400), Modi’in Ilit, GivatZe’ev and Ma’ale Adumim. In addition to this program focus-ing on larger settlements, vibrant expansion continued insome smaller settlements, including Anatot, Givat Benjamin,Har Adar, Kochav Ya’acov, Oranit and the now-veteran hill-top settlements founded by Gush Emunim—Itamar (whosepopulation of 600 grew by 50), Yitzhar (which grew by 83),

and Elon Moreh(which grew by92).

According tothe YESHACouncil, “Thesenumbers provethat the commonsense of settlerswas not injuredeven after theexpulsion fromthe Katif Bloc[Gaza] and thenorth Shomron[West Bank].”Some settle-ments, particular-ly those east ofthe separationbarrier, enjoy“Special SecurityAreas”—secure,fenced perimetersat least 100meters from theoutermost con-struction. Manyother settlementshave established amore informal claim to a similar perimeter.

In East Jerusalem, the settler population has been stagnantfor a decade, holding at around 200,000. During 2006, salesof new apartments throughout the city—east and west—declined by 30 percent. For most of this period, constructionof the settlement of Har Homa on the city’s southeastperimeter was the centerpiece of settlement expansion efforts.About one-half of the 5,000 dwellings authorized for the sitehave been built. During the first week of 2007, an additional1,000 units were authorized, some of them in buildings of 18to 24 storeys. However, the local weekly Yerushalim notes that“up until now [Israeli authorities] have not made good oncommitments to the nearby Arab communities to enablemeaningful construction growth.”

Ma’ariv, January 9, 2007Americans for Peace Now Report, February 26, 2007

Ha’aretz, December 28, 2006 Ha’aretz, December 29, 2006Yerushalim, January 12, 2007

Ma’ariv, January 18, 2007

6 ❖ Report on Israeli Settlement March-April 2007

CREATING FACTS—AN UPDATE

March-April 2007 Report on Israeli Settlement ❖ 7

Settlement Subsidies in the 2007 Budget

As a result of the refusal of the EU to exempt exports fromIsraeli settlements from tax, the state will grant compensationof $6.2 million to industries and farms in the West Bank,Golan Heights, Jordan Valley, and East Jerusalem settlements.

Ma’ariv, January 1, 2007

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Six settler families have lived in Hebron IDF camp for a decade

Six settler families have been living in mobile homes insidea military camp in Hebron for more than a decade, and theIDF has no plans to put an end to this situation even thoughit is extraordinary and of questionable legality. The settlershave been residing in a company-sized camp situated inShehadeh Street in Hebron, close to the compound of settlersin Beit Hadassah and Beit Romano.

According to the IDF spokesman, the “area was occupiedfor military purposes in 1983 [after the unauthorized settle-ment in nearby Beit Hadassah]. A petition against the occu-pation was filed with the High Court, and it was rejected. In1992 another petition was filed, which was withdrawn follow-ing an agreement with the petitioners [Palestinians] that theycould bring their case to the district court within 30 days[which they failed to do]. During the 1990s, Israeli settlerswere authorized to live at the site. Because it was an areaoccupied for military purposes, the structures were builtaccording to military specifications.

Ha’aretz, February 8, 2007

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Condoleezza Rice on the Road Map

Question: You spoke about commitments under the firststage of the roadmap. There’s been, say, a lax [sic] in theAmerican pressure that used to be on Israel governing theoutposts and settlement construction. We haven’t heard muchabout it recently.

Secretary Rice: Well, sometimes we don’t talk about thingsin public, but I think the Israeli Government is quite awarethat—of American policy and of our expectations that thatpolicy—or that the obligations under the roadmap are goingto be carried out.

Interview with Aluf Benn, Ha’aretz,State Department, February 18, 2007

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The Golan Prospers

The nation is returning to the Golan, and in a big way!Despite the war in the north, recent months have seen a

meaningful increase in those expressing interest in purchasinghomes in the region.

“In an average year, 250 families move to the Golan, butthis year, after a short seasonal campaign, thousands haveexpressed an interest. Of these, 270 seem serious and 160families are already in the process of moving,” explained alocal council official. . . .

[In the event of the Golan’s return to Syria, prospectivepurchasers are advised] owners will be entitled to compensa-tion, to be determined according to seniority. Therefore it isadvisable to be sure that registration [of the purchase] is doneas soon as possible—this could be worth a lot of money.

Ma’ariv, January 30, 2007

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The Separation Barrier Grows

[As a result of ] pressure from the two settlements [Na’aleand Nili], security and settlement sources report that PrimeMinister [Ehud] Olmert has ordered the two settlements tobe included west of the separation barrier. The 1,500 residentsof both communities will be included west of the barrier,necessitating a 12 kilometer, $30 million addition to the barri-er approved by the government in April 2006. Twenty thou-sand Palestinians will be directly affected by the new con-struction, which will create two Palestinian pockets accessibleto areas east of the barrier only by planned underground tun-nels.

Ha’aretz, January 3, 2007

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Peretz: Investigate Settler Violence against Hebron Arabs

Defense Minister Amir Peretz ordered the GOC CentralCommander Yair Naveh to investigate harassment by settlersof the Abu Aysha family. Peretz expressed disgust at therecent video filmed by a family member that was aired onIsraeli TV, in which one of the settler women is shown curs-ing and attacking the family members.

Next to the Abu Aysha family home in Hebron’s TelRumeida neighborhood, a new settlement, Admot Yishay, hasbeen built in recent years. Many Palestinians deserted theirhouses in the area following a rise in incidents of settler vio-lence against the quarter’s residents. To protect themselvesfrom stone throwers, window smashing, garbage dumping,and daily attacks, the Abu Aysha family built a fence aroundtheir house. The fourteen family members currently live in ahouse resembling a cage.

Amos Harel, Ha’aretz, January 11, 2007

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SHORT TAKES

Foundation for Middle East Peace1761 N Street, N.W.Washington, D.C. 20036Telephone: 202-835-3650Fax: 202-835-3651E-mail: info@fmep.orgInternet: http://www.fmep.org

FIRST CLASSUS POSTAGE

PAIDMERRIFIELD, VAPERMIT #2333

Systematic Harassment in Hebron

Settler harassment of Palestinians in Hebron is a continu-ing and systematic problem. Not only does the army not stopthis phenomenon—they also contribute to it. . . .

Since the city was divided in 1997 under the framework ofthe Hebron agreement, the fate of 35,000 Palestinians livingin the area of the city slated for Israeli control was sacrificed.They are suffering from unending incidents of violence at thehands of 500. . . . Over 40 percent of Palestinians that oncelived in that area of the city acquiesced in face of the mount-ing settler violence and left their homes without compensa-tion. Approximately 2,500 Palestinians who own shops andbusinesses were forced to close their gates since the outbreakof the intifada. Entire areas adjacent to the Hebron Casbahhave been deserted and settlers are trying to take over thedeserted buildings and shops.

Yariv Oppenheimer, Peace Now spokesman,Ma’ariv, January 15, 2007

Settlers Have Returned Covertly to the Hebron Market

Four months have passed since the Bar Kochba familyreturned to the deserted store in Hebron after leaving it vol-untarily at the beginning of the year [2006]. When theauthorities discovered this last week, they immediately issuedan evacuation notice. The Jerusalem court conceded the fami-ly’s request and the evacuation orders were postponed until aproper hearing on their case.

In January 2006, nine families that had broken into theHebron market agreed to voluntarily leave the area in a last-minute deal negotiated in face of a pending forceful evacua-tion. According to the agreement, the families would be ableto return to their homes immediately after the government’slegal advisor resolved the legal status of the shops, which hadbeen owned by Palestinians but were purchased by Jews.

Guy Meital, Yediot Aharonot,December 21, 2006

The government affirms that the key to security and stability in the region depends on ending the Israeli occupationof the Palestinian territories and recognizing the right to self determination of the Palestinian people; the governmentwill work with the international community for the sake of ending the occupation and regaining the legitimate rights ofthe Palestinian people so that we can build a solid basis for peace, security and prosperity in the region. . . .

The government affirms that peace and stability in the region depends on ending all forms of occupation of thePalestinian territories and removing the apartheid wall and settlements and halt of the Judaization of Jerusalem andpolicies of annexation and restore the rights to their owners.

The government affirms that resistance is a legitimate right of the Palestinian people as granted by the internationalnorms and charters; our Palestinian people have the right to defend themselves in face of any Israeli aggression andbelieves that halting resistance depends on ending the occupation and achieving freedom, return and independence.

Despite this, the government, through national conciliation, will work on consolidating the calm and expanding it tobecome a comprehensive reciprocal truce happening at the same time between both sides and this should be in returnfor Israel halting its occupation measures on the ground in terms of assassinations, arrests, incursions and home demoli-tion and leveling of lands and the digging works in Jerusalem and it should work on removing the check[points andreopening the crossings and lifting all the restrictions on movement and the release of prisoners.

Excerpts from the program of the Palestinian unity government noted by Prime Minister-designate Ismail Haniyeh in an address to the Palestinian Legislative Council, March 17, 2007.

Published in Al-Ayyam and translated by the Jerusalem Media & Communication Centre