Israel's National Security and West Bank Settlements
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Area C of the West Bank: Key Humanitarian Concerns Update August 2014
UNITED NATIONS Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs occupied Palestinian territory AREA C OF THE WEST BANK: KEY HUMANITARIAN CONCERNS UPDATE AUGUST 2014 KEY FACTS � Over 60 percent of the West Bank is considered Area C, where Israel retains near exclusive control, including over law enforcement, planning and construction. � An estimated 300,000 Palestinians live in Area C in about 530 residential areas, 241 of which are located entirely in Area C. � Some 341,000 Israeli settlers live in some 135 settlements and about 100 outposts in Area C, in contravention of international law; the settlements’ municipal area (the area available for their expansion) is nine times larger than their current fenced/patrolled area. � 70% of Area C is included within the boundaries of the regional councils of Israeli settlements (as distinct from the municipal boundaries) and is off-limits for Palestinian use and development. � Palestinian construction in 29% of Area C is heavily restricted; only approximately 1% of Area C has been planned for Palestinian development. � 6,200 Palestinians reside in 38 communities located in parts of Area C that have been designated as “firing zones” for military training, increasing their vulnerabilities and risk of displacement. � In 2013, 565 Palestinian-owned structures in Area C, including 208 residential structures, were demolished due to lack of Israeli-issued permits, displacing 805 people, almost half of them children. � More than 70% of communities located entirely or mostly in Area C are not connected to the water network and rely on tankered water at vastly increased cost; water consumption in some of these communities is as low as 20 litres per capita per day, one-fifth of the WHO’s recommendation. -
Israel's National Religious and the Israeli- Palestinian Conflict
Leap of Faith: Israel’s National Religious and the Israeli- Palestinian Conflict Middle East Report N°147 | 21 November 2013 International Crisis Group Headquarters Avenue Louise 149 1050 Brussels, Belgium Tel: +32 2 502 90 38 Fax: +32 2 502 50 38 [email protected] Table of Contents Executive Summary ................................................................................................................... i Recommendations..................................................................................................................... iv I. Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 1 II. Religious Zionism: From Ascendance to Fragmentation ................................................ 5 A. 1973: A Turning Point ................................................................................................ 5 B. 1980s and 1990s: Polarisation ................................................................................... 7 C. The Gaza Disengagement and its Aftermath ............................................................. 11 III. Settling the Land .............................................................................................................. 14 A. Bargaining with the State: The Kookists ................................................................... 15 B. Defying the State: The Hilltop Youth ........................................................................ 17 IV. From the Hills to the State .............................................................................................. -
B'tselem" Representatives; We Will Therefore Address This Claim in Short
מרכז המידע הישראלי לזכויות האדם בשטחים (ע.ר.) B’Tselem – The Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories -DRAFT- Take No Prisoners The Fatal Shooting of Palestinians by Israeli Security Forces during “Arrest Operations” May 2005 Researched and written by Ronen Shnayderman Data coordination by Suhair ‘Abdi, Antigona Ashkar, Shlomi Swissa, Sohad Sakalla Fieldwork by `Atef Abu a-Rob, Salma Deba’i, Musa Abu Hashhash Translated by Shaul Vardi Edited by Zvi Shulman רחוב התעשייה 8, ת.ד. 53132, ירושלים 91531, טלפון 6735599 (02), פקס 6749111 (02) 8 Hata’asiya St. (4th Floor), P.O.Box 53132, Jerusalem 91531, Tel. (02) 6735599, Fax (02) 6749111 [email protected] http://www.btselem.org Introduction In the early morning of Friday, 3 December 2004, IDF soldiers killed Mahmud `Abd a-Rahman Hamdan Kmeil in Raba, a village southeast of Jenin. The press release by the IDF Spokesperson stated that during an operation to arrest Kmeil, he was shot and killed while attempting to escape from the house in which he was hiding. However, testimonies collected by B’Tselem from eyewitnesses raise grave concerns that the IDF soldiers executed Kmeil as he lay injured on the ground, after his weapon had been taken from him. During the course of the second intifada, Israel officially adopted a policy of assassinating Palestinians suspected of belonging to the armed Palestinian organizations.1 Israel argues that the members of these organizations are combatants and are, therefore, a legitimate target of attack. However, Israel does not grant them the rights given to combatants by international humanitarian law, primarily the right to be recognized as a prisoner of war when captured, which entails immunity from criminal prosecution. -
Arrested Development: the Long Term Impact of Israel's Separation Barrier in the West Bank
B’TSELEM - The Israeli Information Center for ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT Human Rights in the Occupied Territories 8 Hata’asiya St., Talpiot P.O. Box 53132 Jerusalem 91531 The Long Term Impact of Israel's Separation Tel. (972) 2-6735599 | Fax (972) 2-6749111 Barrier in the West Bank www.btselem.org | [email protected] October 2012 Arrested Development: The Long Term Impact of Israel's Separation Barrier in the West Bank October 2012 Research and writing Eyal Hareuveni Editing Yael Stein Data coordination 'Abd al-Karim Sa'adi, Iyad Hadad, Atef Abu a-Rub, Salma a-Deb’i, ‘Amer ‘Aruri & Kareem Jubran Translation Deb Reich Processing geographical data Shai Efrati Cover Abandoned buildings near the barrier in the town of Bir Nabala, 24 September 2012. Photo Anne Paq, activestills.org B’Tselem would like to thank Jann Böddeling for his help in gathering material and analyzing the economic impact of the Separation Barrier; Nir Shalev and Alon Cohen- Lifshitz from Bimkom; Stefan Ziegler and Nicole Harari from UNRWA; and B’Tselem Reports Committee member Prof. Oren Yiftachel. ISBN 978-965-7613-00-9 Table of Contents Introduction ................................................................................ 5 Part I The Barrier – A Temporary Security Measure? ................. 7 Part II Data ....................................................................... 13 Maps and Photographs ............................................................... 17 Part III The “Seam Zone” and the Permit Regime ..................... 25 Part IV Case Studies ............................................................ 43 Part V Violations of Palestinians’ Human Rights due to the Separation Barrier ..................................................... 63 Conclusions................................................................................ 69 Appendix A List of settlements, unauthorized outposts and industrial parks on the “Israeli” side of the Separation Barrier .................. 71 Appendix B Response from Israel's Ministry of Justice ....................... -
West Bank and Gaza 2020 Human Rights Report
WEST BANK AND GAZA 2020 HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Palestinian Authority basic law provides for an elected president and legislative council. There have been no national elections in the West Bank and Gaza since 2006. President Mahmoud Abbas has remained in office despite the expiration of his four-year term in 2009. The Palestinian Legislative Council has not functioned since 2007, and in 2018 the Palestinian Authority dissolved the Constitutional Court. In September 2019 and again in September, President Abbas called for the Palestinian Authority to organize elections for the Palestinian Legislative Council within six months, but elections had not taken place as of the end of the year. The Palestinian Authority head of government is Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh. President Abbas is also chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization and general commander of the Fatah movement. Six Palestinian Authority security forces agencies operate in parts of the West Bank. Several are under Palestinian Authority Ministry of Interior operational control and follow the prime minister’s guidance. The Palestinian Civil Police have primary responsibility for civil and community policing. The National Security Force conducts gendarmerie-style security operations in circumstances that exceed the capabilities of the civil police. The Military Intelligence Agency handles intelligence and criminal matters involving Palestinian Authority security forces personnel, including accusations of abuse and corruption. The General Intelligence Service is responsible for external intelligence gathering and operations. The Preventive Security Organization is responsible for internal intelligence gathering and investigations related to internal security cases, including political dissent. The Presidential Guard protects facilities and provides dignitary protection. -
UNDER COVER of DARKNESS Night Arrests of Palestinian Minors by Israeli Security Forces in the West Bank
UNDER COVER OF DARKNESS Night Arrests of Palestinian Minors by Israeli Security Forces in the West Bank UNDER COVER OF DARKNESS 1 UNDER COVER OF DARKNESS Night Arrests of Palestinian Minors by Israeli Security Forces in the West Bank October 2020 UNDER COVER OF DARKNESS Night Arrests of Palestinian Minors by Israeli Security Forces in the West Bank Research and writing: Shelly Cohen Editing, writing and research assistance: Andrea Szlecsan Data coordination: Orly Bermack, Morad Muna, Yarin Szachter Affidavits taken by Adv. Tagrid Shabita Legal advice: Adv. Nadia Daqqa, Adv. Daniel Shenhar Translation: MJ Translations Copy editing: Shelly Cohen Cover illustration: Noa Finkelstein Graphic design: Sofi Cooperative Typesetting and layout: Debora Pollak October 2020 HaMoked wishes to thank the hundreds of individuals and institutions in Israel and around the world that support its activities. Over half of our funding is provided by foreign government entities. A full list of donors appears on the website of the Israeli Registrar of Non-Profit Organizations and HaMoked's website. ISBN 978-965-7625-05-7 Contents 6 Introduction 8 Night arrests: A routine affair 10 Systemic violation of minorsˈ rights in night arrests 23 Summoning minors for interrogation: The appropriate alternative to pre-planned night arrests 26 Conclusions and recommendations Introduction Hundreds of times a year, Israeli troops invade Palestinian 1 Figures provided to HaMoked homes in the West Bank in the middle of the night, sow fear in response to a Freedom of and panic among household members – children and adults Information application alike – and take a teenager from the family into custody.1 indicate that Israeli security forces arrested 970 The arrests are a violent affair: the soldiers often break Palestinian minors from the down the front door and sometimes forcefully drag the West Bank in 2018 and 855 in teenagers out of bed. -
Strateg Ic a Ssessmen T
Strategic Assessment Assessment Strategic Volume 19 | No. 4 | January 2017 Volume 19 Volume The Prime Minister and “Smart Power”: The Role of the Israeli Prime Minister in the 21st Century Yair Lapid The Israeli-Palestinian Political Process: Back to the Process Approach | No. 4 No. Udi Dekel and Emma Petrack Who’s Afraid of BDS? Economic and Academic Boycotts and the Threat to Israel | January 2017 Amit Efrati Israel’s Warming Ties with Regional Powers: Is Turkey Next? Ari Heistein Hezbollah as an Army Yiftah S. Shapir The Modi Government’s Policy on Israel: The Rhetoric and Reality of De-hyphenation Vinay Kaura India-Israel Relations: Perceptions and Prospects Manoj Kumar The Trump Effect in Eastern Europe: Heightened Risks of NATO-Russia Miscalculations Sarah Fainberg Negotiating Global Nuclear Disarmament: Between “Fairness” and Strategic Realities Emily B. Landau and Ephraim Asculai Strategic ASSESSMENT Volume 19 | No. 4 | January 2017 Abstracts | 3 The Prime Minister and “Smart Power”: The Role of the Israeli Prime Minister in the 21st Century | 9 Yair Lapid The Israeli-Palestinian Political Process: Back to the Process Approach | 29 Udi Dekel and Emma Petrack Who’s Afraid of BDS? Economic and Academic Boycotts and the Threat to Israel | 43 Amit Efrati Israel’s Warming Ties with Regional Powers: Is Turkey Next? | 57 Ari Heistein Hezbollah as an Army | 67 Yiftah S. Shapir The Modi Government’s Policy on Israel: The Rhetoric and Reality of De-hyphenation | 79 Vinay Kaura India-Israel Relations: Perceptions and Prospects | 93 Manoj Kumar The Trump Effect in Eastern Europe: Heightened Risks of NATO-Russia Miscalculations | 103 Sarah Fainberg Negotiating Global Nuclear Disarmament: Between “Fairness” and Strategic Realities | 117 Emily B. -
Israel: Growing Pains at 60
Viewpoints Special Edition Israel: Growing Pains at 60 The Middle East Institute Washington, DC Middle East Institute The mission of the Middle East Institute is to promote knowledge of the Middle East in Amer- ica and strengthen understanding of the United States by the people and governments of the region. For more than 60 years, MEI has dealt with the momentous events in the Middle East — from the birth of the state of Israel to the invasion of Iraq. Today, MEI is a foremost authority on contemporary Middle East issues. It pro- vides a vital forum for honest and open debate that attracts politicians, scholars, government officials, and policy experts from the US, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. MEI enjoys wide access to political and business leaders in countries throughout the region. Along with information exchanges, facilities for research, objective analysis, and thoughtful commentary, MEI’s programs and publications help counter simplistic notions about the Middle East and America. We are at the forefront of private sector public diplomacy. Viewpoints are another MEI service to audiences interested in learning more about the complexities of issues affecting the Middle East and US rela- tions with the region. To learn more about the Middle East Institute, visit our website at http://www.mideasti.org The maps on pages 96-103 are copyright The Foundation for Middle East Peace. Our thanks to the Foundation for graciously allowing the inclusion of the maps in this publication. Cover photo in the top row, middle is © Tom Spender/IRIN, as is the photo in the bottom row, extreme left. -
Israel-Palestine Through the Lens of Game Theory
University of Massachusetts Amherst ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst Economics Department Working Paper Series Economics 2021 Land for peace? Israel-Palestine through the lens of game theory Amal Ahmad Department of Economics, University of Massachusetts Amherst Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.umass.edu/econ_workingpaper Part of the Economics Commons Recommended Citation Ahmad, Amal, "Land for peace? Israel-Palestine through the lens of game theory" (2021). Economics Department Working Paper Series. 301. https://doi.org/10.7275/21792057 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Economics at ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst. It has been accepted for inclusion in Economics Department Working Paper Series by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Land for peace? Israel-Palestine through the lens of game theory Amal Ahmad∗ February 2021 Abstract Why have Israel and the Palestinians failed to implement a \land for peace" solution, along the lines of the Oslo Accords? This paper studies the applica- tion of game theory to this question. I show that existing models of the conflict largely rely on unrealistic assumptions about what the main actors are trying to achieve. Specifically, they assume that Israel is strategically interested in withdrawing from the occupied territories pending resolvable security concerns but that it is obstructed from doing so by violent Palestinians with other objec- tives. I use historical analysis along with bargaining theory to shed doubt on this assumption, and to argue that the persistence of conflict has been aligned with, not contrary to, the interests of the militarily powerful party, Israel. -
Sociographie De La Doxa Coloniale Israélienne
Université de Montréal Se représenter dominant et victime : sociographie de la doxa coloniale israélienne par Michaël Séguin Département de sociologie Faculté des arts et sciences Thèse présentée en vue de l’obtention du grade de Philosophiae Doctor (Ph.D.) en sociologie Août 2018 © Michaël Séguin, 2018 Université de Montréal Faculté des études supérieures et postdoctorales Cette thèse intitulée : Se représenter dominant et victime : sociographie de la doxa coloniale israélienne Présentée par : Michaël Séguin a été évaluée par un jury composé des personnes suivantes : Deena White, présidente-rapporteuse et représentante du doyen Paul Sabourin, directeur de recherche Yakov Rabkin, codirecteur de recherche Barbara Thériault, membre du jury Rachad Antonius, examinateur externe Résumé Dans un monde majoritairement postcolonial, Israël fait figure d’exception alors même que se perpétue sa domination d’un autre peuple, les Arabes palestiniens. Tandis qu’un nombre grandissant d’auteurs, y compris juifs, traitent de la question israélo-palestinienne comme d’un colonialisme de peuplement, et non plus comme d’un conflit ethnique entre groupes nationaux, se pose la question : comment une telle domination est-elle possible à l’ère des médias de masse ? Plus précisément, pourquoi cette domination est-elle si peu contestée de l’intérieur de la société israélienne alors même qu’elle contredit le discours public de l’État qui tente, par tous les moyens, de se faire accepter comme étant démocratique et éclairé ? Pour y répondre, cette thèse procède à une analyse de la connaissance de sens commun israélienne afin de détecter à la fois le mode de connaissance, issu des relations sociales, privilégié pour faire sens des rapports ethnonationaux, mais aussi la manière dont cette doxa vient légitimer la domination des Palestiniens. -
Educating for Success
EDUCATING FOR SUCCESS It was a cold and rainy day in December 1975. There were only a handful of communities in Judea and the Jordan Valley at the time, but a small group of visionary pioneers decided to change that. They put out the word, and thousands converged upon an abandoned railway station near Sebastia, the Roman name given to the Biblical city of Samaria. The Government of Israel opposed this pioneering initiative, but when confronted with the masses who clamored for settlement in Samaria, they acquiesced. Thirty families were permitted to settle in a nearby army base, and the community of Kedumim was born. I was in Jerusalem at the time, and when I heard about this brave new venture, I hitched a ride to that army base. I personally witnessed the commitment and spirit of innovation that the pioneers shared. They were creative and determined to reach their goal — to settle Judea and Samaria. Today, Kedumim is an established town, but it remains true to its original spirit. Today, that spirit is apparent in Lehava High School for Girls. For years, this school was at the forefront of Ethiopian immigrant absorption in Israel. Today, the needs are different. Too many youngsters lack the motivation to study, missing the relevance of their school work. Lehava has recently launched a center for initiative and leadership as an optional program for middle school students. Students are encouraged to look at their own reality and identify problems or needs that require solutions, whether it be a humanitarian need, a technological failing, or anything else. -
Israel Debates No. 16
Israel Debates No. 16 11 November 2014 Following the war between Israel and Hamas: New political horizons for the peace process? Dear readers, For this issue of Israel Debates we have once again asked two authors to discuss the political consequences of this summer’s war between Israel and Hamas. These hostilities triggered heated debates in Israeli society and politics, focusing on Israel’s future prospects in a region characterized for decades by stable instability. The political debate is split down the middle. On the one side are those who cannot envisage a future for Israel unless it is based on military deterrence and strength, particularly in the light of the regional changes in the years since the Arab Spring. For Efraim Inbar, Director of the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies, Israel has no choice other than to continue to live by the sword for many more years. There is a majority in Israeli society that supports this position, which is also reflected clearly in surveys, showing that a majority have more faith in Prime Minister Netanyahu than any other candidate. On the other side, Shaul Arieli, one of the prominent representatives of the Geneva peace initiative who has been involved in a number of negotiations between Israel and Palestine, argues that new diplomatic horizons have emerged for solving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. True, this presupposes that the Israeli government, and in particular Prime Minister Netanyahu, will have to send out unequivocal messages giving the go ahead for the two-state solution. Although there is a relative majority in the Knesset for a two- state solution, in current surveys their representatives received fewer seats than previously.