Settlement Monitor Author(S): Geoffrey Aronson Source: Journal of Palestine Studies, Vol

Home , Alei Zahav, Ateret, Ganim, Har Nof, Homesh, Itamar

Settlement Monitor Author(s): Geoffrey Aronson Source: Journal of Palestine Studies, Vol. 28, No. 2 (Winter, 1999), pp. 128-134 Published by: University of California Press on behalf of the Institute for Palestine Studies Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/2537950 Accessed: 26-02-2015 20:00 UTC

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EDITED BY GEOFFREY ARONSON

This section covers items-reprinted articles, statistics,and maps-pertaining to Israeli settlement activities in the Gaza Strip and the WestBank, including East Jerusalem, and the Go- lan Heights. Unless otherwise stated, the items in this section have been written by Geoffrey Aronson directlyfor this section or drawn from material written by him for Report on Is- raeli Settlementin the Occupied Territories(hereinafter SettlementReport), a Washington- based bimonthly newsletterpublished by the Foundation for Middle East Peace. JPS is grate- ful to the Foundation for permission to draw on its material. Major documents relating to settlementsappear in the Documents and Source Material section.

The Wye Memorandum and Settlements ...... 128 Water Allocation on the West Bank Favors Settlers ...... 130 Israelis Queried on Settlements ...... 131 Settlement Chronology ...... 131

THE WYE MEMORANDUM AND Redeployment Map SETTLEMENTS Palestinians have pieced togethera rather detailed understandingof what areas Israel From SettlementReport, November- intends to transfer,although no final Israeli December 1998. redeploymentmap has ever been formally Israel and the PalestinianAuthority (PA) presented, even at the Wye talks. have agreed in the Wye memorandum to a Indeed, in the days afterthe Wye talks,it revised timetablefor the phased implementa- became clear thatthe redeploymentmap re- tion of the firstand second "furtherrede- mained a work in progress. Numerous ac- ployments" (FRD) of Israeli militaryforces companying documents to the Wye agree- outlined in the Oslo II accords signed in ment appeared in the press, but no realistic September 1995. map was leaked. The firstof three redeploymentswas ini- At a cabinet meeting on 5 November tiallyscheduled to begin in October 1996. convened to debate the agreement,Prime The thirdredeployment was to have been MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu presented a completed, according to the Oslo II time- map and offeredto create a ministerialcom- table, by October 1997. The Wye memoran- mittee,advised by "experts and settlerrepre- dum, signed on 23 October 1998, makes no sentatives,"to review it. The committee,he mention of a date for the thirdredeployment said, would be allowed to make "justified changes" in the proposed map. called for in Oslo II. Many settlementleaders, and some cabi- curi- The officialtext of the memorandum net members, remain opposed to any agree- ously omits any map detailing the areas to ment resultingin an increase in Palestinian be transferredby Israel to Palestinian control. territorialcontrol of the West Bank. Netan- This is the firstredeployment accord in yahu would like to reduce this disagreement which such a map has not formed part of in principle to a debate over which parts of the officialagreement. the West Bank should be excluded fromPal- Afterimplementation of the Wye memo- estinian control. randum,the PA will control,in whole or in Despite the absence of an authorized re- part,40 percent of the West Bank (see deployment map, some assumptions can be chart).Palestinians expect U.S. intelligence made about the regions to be transferred satellitesto confirmthe extent of Israel's de- (see map). In general, the Netanyahu gov- ployments. ernmentconsiders the areas around Jenin in

Journal of Palestine Studies XXVIII, no. 2 (Winter 1999), pp. 128-134.

This content downloaded from 108.45.56.202 on Thu, 26 Feb 2015 20:00:17 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions SETrLEMENT MONITOR 129

Currentand ProjectedIsraeli Redeployment Accordingto theWye Memorandum 1998

PalestinianAutonomous Areas (Oslo II-ZonesA andB) comprising 26 % ofthe West Bank---- AdditionalAreas of Israeli Redeploymentcomprising 13 % ofthe West Bank

DesignatedNature Reserve, accordingto the Wye Memorandum 3% ofthe West Bank

WGreen Line

IsraeliSettlement, shownaccording to projectedextent IsraeliSettlement A connectedto network ofBypass-Roads IsraeliSettlement E A unlinkedtonetwork 1A ofBypass-Roads

ExsigandProjected Ntokof Bypass-Roads

This content downloaded from 108.45.56.202 on Thu, 26 Feb 2015 20:00:17 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions 130 JOURNALOF PALESTINE STUDIES thenorth, and southwestand northeastof Yitzhar,according to well-informedPalestini- Hebronbest suited for transfer to some de- ans, will not be directlyaffected by imple- gree of Palestiniancontrol. By includingtwo mentationof the agreement. separatedesert-like areas in thehilly region northeastof Hebronas "naturereserves," the TERRITORIAL DIVISION OF THE WEST BANK governmenthas avoidedthe need to reduce AccORDING TO THE WYE MEMORANDUM theIsraeli presence near the Ramallah-area AreaA AreaB AreaC settlementsof Ateret,Bet El, and Ofra. FullPA Joint FullIsraeli Israelwill remove a numberof military ControlControl* Control camps,including Bezek, Fahme, Majnounei, Redeploymentsin1995-96 Nahal Ginat,and Sanur.Far more new bases underthe Oslo II willbe constructed,however, according to a agreement 3.0% 24.0% 73.0% reportin Yedi'ot Aharanot, although each Firstand second FRDs willbe smallerin size thanthose they re- accordingtothe Wye place. "Thesmall bases willbe established memorandum throughoutthe West Bank," noted the news- paper on 25 October,"particularly next to StageI 11/16/98 10.1% 18.9% 71.0% isolatedsettlements. The intentionis notto leave isolatedsettlements in theheart of Pal- StageII estinianareas withoutan armybase nearby. 11/16/98-12/21/98 10.1% 23.9% 66.0% The campsto be established,therefore, will StageIII separatethe territory under Palestinian con- 12/14/98-1/31/99 18.2%**21.8% 60.0% trolfrom the settlements." * Underjoint control, the PA controls civilian affairs, Israel Affected Settlements controlssecurity. Settlementleaders have presenteda listof ** Includes3% "nature reserves." eighteensettlements that they claim will be POPULATION GROWTH IN THE JUDEA REGION one-halfkilometer from Palestinian- [SOUTHERN WEST BANK], 1992-96 controlledarea A sectorsafter implementa- tionof theWye memorandum: Ganim, Population Homesh,Kadim, Mevo Dotan,Sanur, and 1992-96 % ShaveiShomron, north of Nablus;Brakha, 1992 1994 1995 1996 Increase Increase Itamar,and Yitzhar,south of Nablus;Ateret, Settlement Bet El, and Ofranear Ramallah; and Adora, Betar 1,603 4,878 5,500 7,500 5,897 370% Bet HaGai,Karmei Tzur, Neguchot, Otniel, Efrat 3,181 4,606 5,300 5,700 2,519 79% and Telem,near Hebron. Hebron 345 502 400 400 55 16% Such a standard,however, does notnec- KiryatArba 4,765 5,044 5,200 5,300 535 11% essarilyconsign these settlements to a posi- Ma'ale tionof isolationfrom Israel or envelopment Adumim 13,968 17,745 19,300 20,200 6,232 45% by areas underPalestinian control. Proximity Regional Council to Palestinian-controlledareas, in and of it- Etzion Bloc 5,220 6,507 7,100 7,500 2,280 44% Hebron Hills 1,923 2,216 2,700 2,900 977 51% self,is notthe most salient issue forgauging theeffect of redeploymenton settlements. Total 31,005 41,498 45,500 49,500 18,495 60% All,for example, with the exception of Source: StatisticalAbstract of Israel, 1997; Judea Magazine, Brakha,Homesh, and Sanur,will be con- November-December 1995. nectedby bypassroads, either existing or planned,leading to principaltransport routes WATER ALLOCATION ON THE WEST to Israel.Ten new roads,in fact,are in vari- BANK FAVORS SETTLERS ous stagesof planningand construction.In no case willsettlements be isolatedin the From SettlementReport, November- sense of beingphysically surrounded by Pal- December 1998. estinianareas A and B. On 24 August this year, a PA officialan- Some settlements,however, will undoubt- nounced measures aimed at relievingthe edlysuffer from the added burdensimposed water shortage in PA-controlledareas of the by theagreement. Sanur, for example, is al- West Bank. Israel would provide several readyalmost empty, and it is notlikely to large water tanks for areas withoutrunning surviveas a civiliansettlement, even under water; there would be joint supervision of presentconditions. Others, including Ateret, the quantityof water supplied by Israel to Bet El, Itamar,Ofra, Shavei Shomron, and the Palestinians; and joint measures would

This content downloaded from 108.45.56.202 on Thu, 26 Feb 2015 20:00:17 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions SETTLEMENT MONITOR 131 be taken against the unauthorized diversion Leave all settlementsintact 46% of water. Removesettlements located in the Fadel Quawash, deputy directorof the heartof Palestinianpopulated areas 17% Palestinianwater authority,reports that Israel Removeall settlements 18% has approved six of fortyrequests to drill Removemost settlements 13% new wells. Quawash charged thatthe amount of water supplied by Israel to the 2. Is it necessaryto removeimmediately or Bethlehem-Hebronregion has decreased to leave intactthe isolated settlements in the from33,000 cubic meters (m3) a day to heartof Hebron? 20,000 m3 a day in order to meet settler Remove 52% needs. Israel's coordinatorof governmentac- Leave intact 43% tivitiesin the occupied territoriesreplied that 3. Do settlementscontribute to securityor Israel is supplying the Hebron region with are theya securityburden? 23,000 m3 a day, more than the 17,500 stipu- lated in the Oslo II agreement.Shortages Hebron All were also attributedto PA administrative SettlementsSettlements shortcomings. Burden 55% 45% According to the Oslo II agreement,of Contribution 25% 33% the 601 million cubic meters of water avail- Neither 18% 21% able annually in the three main West Bank aquifers: SEITLEMENT CHRONOLOGY * 340 m3 (56.6 percent) is earmarked foruse in Israel; 19 August * 143 m3 (23.8 percent) foruse by the The Netanyahugovernment unveils a 170,000 West Bank settlers(excluding those plan to almostdouble thesettler population residingin East Jerusalem); and on theGolan Heightsby constructing4,500 * 118 m3 (19.6 percent) for the 1.2 million new dwellings,including 2,500 vacation Palestiniansliving on the West Bank. homes.

COMPARISON OF WATER ALLOCATION 20 August HaAretz reportsthat Palestinians are sup- KiryatArba Hebron plied with50-85 litersof waterper day;set- (Settlers) (Palestinians) tlersconsume 280-300 liters per day. PopulationinDecember A settlerrabbi is killedin his home in Tal 1997 5,800 119,230 Rumaydasettlement in Hebron.The IDF im- Householdwater supply poses a curfewon Israeli-controlledHebron. in1997 765,120m3 3,170,952m3 Underan agreementbetween Israeli and Palestiniansecurity forces, settlers are al- Allocationin lowed to remainovernight at Joseph's Tomb February1997 45,100m3 254,660m3 in Nablusuntil the beginning of September, July1997 98,530m3 216,230m3 afterwhich overnight stays will be allowed Dailyper capita usage onlyin coordinationwith the PA. July1997 547liters/day 58 liters/day July1998 N/A 45liters/day 23 August The Netanyahucabinet decides to replace Source:Data on water is fromthe Palestinian Water "as soon as possible"the seven mobile Authority. homeshousing settlers at theTal Rumayda Informationappeared in HaAretz, 31 July 1998. sitein Hebron(see 20 August)with permanentstructures at a cost of approximately$3 ISRAELIS QUERIED ON million. SETTLEMENTS Settlersfrom Yitzhar threaten to shoot IDF officers,police, and threePalestinian The following results of a survey of 501 landownersattempting to approachan olive representativeadult Israelis conducted by the grovebelonging to one of thePalestinians. Dahaf organization in late August 1998 Armedsetters have preventedaccess to the were reproduced in Yedi'ot Aharanot on sitefor months. 28 August 1998. GeneralMoshe Ya'alon, head of theIDF 1. In the context of a permanent agree- CentralCommand, tells settlers that "the ment, is it necessary to leave all settlements armyand thesettlers see eye to eye. Soldiers intact or to agree to their removal? have clearorders: protect the settlers." He

This content downloaded from 108.45.56.202 on Thu, 26 Feb 2015 20:00:17 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions 132 JOURNAL OF PALESTINE STUDIES also triesto win settlerapproval for a "pro- of stage2 of theNational Master Plan for tectionpackage" for settlements that includes 2020,is surprisedwhen a DefenseMin. rep- erectingperimeter fences around twenty set- resentativenotes that the plan mustaim to tlements,extending patrols, and reinforcing have 1 millionsettlers in theWest Bank by reservistpatrols with enlisted troops. 2020,instead of thecurrent plan for310,000, a numberreached by calculatingnatural 24 August growth.Council members do notbelieve 1 A PA officialannounces measures aimed millionto be a realisticobjective. at relievingthe water shortage in PA- Settlersdecry a DefenseMin. plan to of controlledareas theWest Bank: Israel erectsecurity fences around 21 WestBank water for would providelarge tanks areas settlements,including Ma'ale Adumimand currentlywithout running water, there would GivatZe'ev, in responseto the murderof be jointsupervision of thequantity of water threesettlers in August. suppliedby Israelto thePalestinians, and A reportby theTemporary International jointmeasures would be takenagainst unau- Presencein Hebron,created after the killings thorizeddiversion of water. at theTomb of thePatriarchs/al-Ibrahimi 26 August Mosque in 3/94,notes a sharpincrease in Reutersreports that according to the Is- thenumber of cases of harassmentof Pales- raeliHousing Min., 25% of the 3,905dwell- tiniansby settlers.IDF officersconfirm the ingsbuilt directly by thegovernment in set- assessment,noting that it represents"the tlementsfrom 1989 to 1992 remain ongoingreality of hurtingArabs in Hebron." unoccupiedas partof a governmentpolicy 2 September to increasesupply and depresshousing New rulesgoverning the treatment of set- prices. tlersgive primary responsibility to theIsraeli 27 August police,rather than the IDF or Shabak,for en- Israel'sJerusalem municipal authorities forcingthe law. The regulationsnote that approveplan initiatedby U.S. millionaireIr- specialvigilance should be exercisedat set- vingMoskowitz to buildhousing for 132 tlementslocated next to Palestiniancommu- Jewishfamilies in thePalestinian neighbor- nities,isolated villages where settlers have hood of Ras al-Amudin EastJerusalem. Ne- executed"retaliatory" or "warning"raids, tanyahuadvisers say chanceof Israeligov- holysites, public lands claimed by settlers, ernmentapproval are slim. and IDF bases. The IDF mobilizes2,000 troops in He- 3 September bronto preventviolence as 1,000settlers Israeliauthorities begin construction of gatherto markend of 7-daymourning pe- WestBank riodfor rabbi killed 8/20. new housingunits to expandthe settlementof Mihulaonto confiscated Pales- 28 August tinianland. Al-Quds [Internetedition] reports the ex- 4 September pansionof Migdalimsettlement near Nablus, includingplacement of new mobilehomes, It is reportedthat Israeli police in Hebron constructionof a leatherfactory and new have opened 143 filesagainst the 450 settlers roads,and confiscationof Palestinian-owned livingin thecity from January to July 1998. lands. Eighty-twocases remainunder investigation, 24 are awaitingaction by thestate attorney, 30 August and 37 were closed afterthe suspects could Newspapersreport warnings that right- notbe located. wingIsraeli elements may be planningto at- Qol Ha'ir reportsthat Israel's Jerusalem tackthe PM, other government officials, and municipalityhas renewedits plan forthe sensitivesites, such as theHaram al-Sharif if constructionof 250 dwellingsin thePalestin- a 13% FRD is implemented. ian neighborhoodof Abu Dis. PM Netanyahu Israelisecurity establishment warns that supportsconstruction only after the begin- "extremeactions such as thoseof Baruch ningof theFRD. Goldsteinare not entirelyimpossible" in the nearfuture. 7 September IsraeliInterior Ministry reports that as of 1 September 6/30,169,339 Jewish settlers were livingin The IsraeliNational Planning and Con- theoccupied territories (163,173 in theWest structionCouncil, discussing implementation Bank,6,166 in Gaza). Overallthe number of

This content downloaded from 108.45.56.202 on Thu, 26 Feb 2015 20:00:17 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions SETTLEMENT MONITOR 133 settlersincreased by 12.4% between 12/31/96 4 October and 6/30/98;half of this was as a resultof Residents of Ma'ate Hever settlementnear naturalgrowth, half because of new resi- Hebron move theirboundaty fences to en- dents moving in. 86,202 of all settlerslive in close another 7 acres of Palestinian land. nine of the official144 settlements;88,900 6 October live in the GreaterJerusalem area or along PM Netanyahu announces approval of the the Green Line. constructionof permanentstructures to re- 9 September place trailersat Tal Rumayda in Hebron but Constructionbegins on 180 new housing postpones groundbreakinguntil archaeologi- units in the West Bank settlementof Beit El cal work can be completed. near Ramallah. PM Netanyahu attends celebration mark- ing Ariel settlement'snew citystatus. Ariel 10 September officialssay they plan to add 3,000 additional Israeli Wire reportsthe expansion of housing units. Shilo settlement,between Ramallah and Na- 8 October blus, to a site several kilometersfrom the ex- In a ceremony attended by Israeli mayor istingsettlement. of JerusalemEhud Olmert and 50 members 16 September of the AteretCohanim settlergroup, three The YESHA settlerscouncil meets to dis- Jewish settlerfamilies move into a home in cuss "the damage thatradical Jewish sources East JerLisalem.Israel also announces that in the territoriesare causing settlers."For the 150 new housing units will be added to firsttime, a representativeof the Hebron set- Ma'ale Mikhmas settlementnear Ramallah. tlersis awarded membership on the council. 10 October The JerusalemnReport [Internationaledi- 17 September tion] relates Israeli TransportationMin. plans A settlerfrom Dolev, northof Jerusalem, for an eight-spurlight railway in Jerusalem. opens fireon Palestinian stonethrowers,kill- The firstroute would link Pisgat Ze'ev settle- ing a 17-year-oldPalestinian, wounding an- ment with East Jerusalemand Kiryat other. In subsequent days, settlersdemand Menahem. Other routes would link Ramot, the release from He is trans- suspect's jail. Neve Ya'acov, Har Nof, and Gilo settlements ferredto house arrestat a Jerusalemyouth with East Jerusalem. hostel 9/19. Israeli police evict 25 members of the 14 October Beitar youth movement,connected with PM Constructionof 1,200 new houses forAlei Netanyahu'sLikud party,from an encamp- Zahav settlementbegins at site over a mile ment thatthey set up at Har Homa/JabalAbu away. Alei Zahav has 330 residents(90 fami- Ghunaym in East Jerusalemto demand im- lies). mediate construLctionat the site. 15 October 18 September ThirtyJewish settlersled by a Molodet partyMK occupy a vacant Palestinian home Yedi 'otAharonot reportsthat plans have in East JelLisalem,sparking fights between been filed by the civil administrationfor con- settlersand Palestinians.Some 100 Israeli po- stuLctionof 600 houses in Yitzhar,a settle- licemen are broughtin to quell the distur- ment of 60 familiesnear Nablus where two bance. residentswere killed 8/5. PM Netanyahu ex- plains "I urge the settlersto startbuilding, 25 October because thatis another of my answers to the Jewish settlershold demonstrations,block perpetratorsof terrorism." roads, burn tires across the West Bank to protestthe Wye agreement,which was 30 September signed 10/23. ThirteenIsraeli soldiers and 11 Palestini- The Israeli Housing Min. reportsthat ans are injured in a Hebron grenade attack 12,000 settlementunits have been added to on an Israeli patrol. the West Bank and Gaza in the past two 1 October years. Israeli troops block the main road con- 26 October nectingthe Palestinian sector of Hebron (HI) PM Netanyahu claims thatIsrael made no with the Israeli-controlledsector (H2). agreements at Wye to halt settlementcon-

This content downloaded from 108.45.56.202 on Thu, 26 Feb 2015 20:00:17 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions 134 JOURNAL OF PALESTINE STUDIES stiLictionor expansion,land confiscation,or Under Israeli police protectionand with house demolitions.The U.S. repeatsits warn- PM Netanyahu's approval, settlerserect ing againstunilateral actions by eitherparty barbed-wire fence around the area of Ras al- thatwould jeopardizethe process. Amud in East Jeiusalem, begin bulldozing An Israelisettler is murderedin Hebron land for constructionof new settlement. in an apparentattack by Palestinians.Hours Settlersplace trailerson a hill northof later,a Palestinianis founddead outside Ramallah. Itamarsettlement near Nablus. An anony- mous callerclaims the Palestinian was killed 3 November to avengethe settler's death. Jewish settlersplace 10 trailerson a West In Jerusalem,200 Jewish settlers hold Bank hill, another 3 trailersappear on a hill rallyoutside PM Netanyahu'sto protestthe near the existingMa'ale Mikhmas settlement. Wyeaccord. 5 November 27 October Netanyahu presents his cabinet with FRD Israelbegins construction of waterreser- maps for the firsttime. Ministerscomplain voirfor Almon settlement and AnatonIDF that9 settlementswould become islands in camp nearRamallah that is expectedto re- PA territoryafter the FRD. Israeli defense of- quireconfiscation of 1OOsof dunamsof Pal- ficials share the maps with settlerleaders, estinianland. who demand 50 amendments. NearHebron, settlers place threetrailers on 100 dunamsof confiscatedland forestab- 10 November lishmentof new Yattasettlement. Israeli DM Mordechai approves plan to fortify33 West Bank settlementsthat will be 29 October near Palestinian-controlledarea A afterthe In Gaza, an IDF escortjeep preventsa FRD. Palestiniandriving an explosive-ladencar fromcrashing into a school bus carrying Peace Now reportsthat since the Wye ac- childrenfrom Kfar Darom settlement to cord was signed, settlershave established at nearbyAtzmona settlement. Hamas claims least 5 new West Bank settlements. responsibility. 11 November 30 October 15,000 Jewish settlershold rallyin Tel The Israelicabinet allocates funds for Aviv to protestWye agreement. buildingbypass roads and protectionof WestBank settlements. 12 November Israel begins accepting bids for settlement 1 November constructionat Har Homa/JabalAbu PM Netanyahuapproves construction of Ghunaym in East JeruLsalem.PM Netanyahu 200 housingunits in KiryatArba, one of the vows to complete 6,000 units by 2000. mostradical Jewish settlements located near Hebron. 13 November IDF confirmsreports that settlers are set- Israel authorizes paving of 13 roads to tingup agriculturalfarms outside the bound- Jewish settlementsin the West Bank, which ariesof existingsettlements in orderto cre- will require the confiscationof large tractsof ate factson theground before an FRD. Palestinian land.

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