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Report on Israeli Settlement in the Occupied Territories

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Report on Israeli Settlement in the Occupied Territories REPORT ON ISRAELI SETTLEMENT IN THE OCCUPIED TERRITORIES A Bimonthly Publication of the Foundation for Middle East Peace Volume 12 Number 4 July-August 2002 “SEPARATION THREATENS TO UNDERMINE SETTLEMENTS” By Geoffrey Aronson 1967. Palestinian attacks in Israel as During this period, even when well as on settlers and settlements are expanding the civilian settlements “THEY ARE A F R A I D,” forcing unprecedented changes in Israeli proved on the tactical level to lack any screams a blood-red headline in a recent perceptions of the settlement enterprise. security value, for the IDF there was edition of the Israeli newspaper They are also altering perspectives on really no price to be paid for settling Ma’ariv. The accompanying article the relationship between settlements anywhere in the West Bank or Gaza. seeks to answer this question: Who and Israeli security as understood by The public, while largely disengaged among Israeli performing artists “doesn’t policymakers and the public. It is still from this enterprise, was nevertheless come to perform in the settlements dur- too early to conclude how or whether sympathetic to the patriotic imagery ing these difficult days”? the settlement enterprise will adapt to surrounding it. As more Israelis moved According to one Gaza settler the challenge posed by the intifada or be across the Green Line in search of involved in planning such visits, “If I undermined by it. “quality of life” and as long as Palestin- begin I won’t be able to finish. It’s much The link between civilian settlement ians were quiescent, the average Israeli easier to say who does come.” and Israeli security requirements was saw no reason to question the status “It is difficult for them,” says another first forged in the early years of Israeli quo. settler, “Our families won’t come to visit occupation. Leaders who believed in the In this triumphant atmosphere, even either.” necessity of remaining in military con- the demographic challenge posed by a The continuing Palestinian intifada trol of the area west of the Jordan River seemingly unassailable Arab majority in against Israel’s occupation of the West viewed the creation of Jewish settle- the territories was dismissed. Minister Bank and Gaza Strip has sparked the ments in the newly captured areas as a of Agriculture Ariel Sharon’ s Septem- most significant reassessment of the role means of establishing domestic political ber 1977 plan, “A Vision of Israel at and value of settlements since June support for their military strategy. Century’s End,” called for a settler pop- Their approach promised to transform ulation of 2 million by 2000. Ezer the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), at least Weizman, before he became defense Also in this issue: in the eyes of the Israeli public, from an minister in 1976, explained that “the army occupying foreign land—the demographic problem will disappear the Settlement Population and West Bank and Gaza Strip—into an moment we unite all the territories with Construction Update 3 army protecting Israeli citizens—the the State of Israel.” Short Takes 4, 5 growing numbers of settlers—in its Settlements and settlers were also not ——— N ——— homeland. a major security burden during the first By the late 1970s the settlement intifada, which erupted in December Visit our website, www.fmep.org, for back issues of the Settlement Report, lobby itself had emerged as a political 1987 and ended with the bargain struck maps, and current analyses and power. Expanding the settlements no between Israel and the Palestine Libera- commentary on the Israeli-Palestinian longer needed to be justified on security tion Organization (PLO) at Oslo in conflict. grounds. Indeed, to such partisans of 1993. Despite the unprecedented nature settlement as Gush Emunim, “security” of Palestinian roadside attacks on set- The first in a series of Arabic as understood by Israeli military officers tlers, the Palestinian arsenal during and Hebrew translations of the Settlement Report can be viewed was not even a consideration for those this uprising was limited to stones. at www.fmep.org. charged with realizing God’s promise to the Jewish people. SEPARATION, continued on page 7 TO OUR READERS FOUNDATION FOR MIDDLE EAST PEACE President George W. Bush’s June 24 outlining solutions for these problems and speech confused and disappointed many a negotiating timetable. Such a plan is the Merle Thorpe, Jr. who had hoped to hear a coherent plan for only way to renew hope for peace and the Founder an Israeli-Palestinian peace that would only alternative to the violence that trau- (1917–1994) break the current violent impasse. Instead, matized majorities on both sides of the Bush demanded Palestinian leader Yasser conflict now support by default. Without Philip C. Wilcox, Jr. Arafat’s departure, reform of the Palestin- such hope, Palestinians are unlikely to rally President ian Authority, and a crackdown on terror- against terrorism, and Israelis will not chal- Geoffrey Aronson ism as preconditions for negotiations. lenge Sharon to compromise with the Director, Research and Publica- Although Bush indicated that Israel would Palestinians or face electoral defeat. tions, Editor, Report on Israeli eventually have to withdraw from the terri- One reason Bush has rejected such Settlements in the Occupied Territories tories it occupies, for the present he asks activism is his mistaken belief that pressing nothing of Israeli prime minister Ariel Israel to negotiate now would “reward ter- Mallika Good Sharon, whose forces now reoccupy the rorism.” Yet postponing diplomacy leaves Editorial Assistant West Bank and have crippled Palestinian the initiative with the terrorists and Holly Byker security and government institutions. extremists on both sides. The late Israeli Intern The lack of realism in Bush’s one-sided prime minister Yitzhak Rabin understood approach is breathtaking. Yes, Palestinian this when he said, “We will fight terror as ADVISERS institutions need reform and, ultimately, if there are no negotiations and negotiate as Lucius D. Battle new leadership. It is naïve, however, to if there is no terror.” President Bush should Landrum R. Bolling expect such developments without a paral- resurrect Rabin’s approach when his next Peter Gubser lel political process that resolves the issues speech is written. Jean C. Newsom of occupation, borders, refugees, settle- Gail Pressberg ments, Jerusalem, and Palestinian state- hood. Nicholas A. Veliotes What is needed is an American plan TRUSTEES Peter M. Castleman —————— N —————— Chairman Lucius D. Battle Calvin H. Cobb, Jr. It is getting to be impossible to continue this way, where James J. Cromwell we have to stop our lives so often in order to run and find Stephen Hartwell shelter. An unbelievable number of 1,200 shells have been Richard S.T. Marsh fired at us in the past months, and we will not let this contin- Richard W. Murphy William B. Quandt ue. The army must take much more offensive actions, but Sally S. Thorpe meanwhile the Supreme Court, refusing to recognize that we are at war, doesn’t even let the army destroy houses used by The Foundation, a non- the terrorists to shoot at us. I should note that these 1,200 profit, I.R.C. 501(c)(3) shells explode not only on us, but also on the very idea of organization. It supports peace and security for erecting a partition along the Green Line. We are used as an Israelis and Palestinians example of a “successful” partition (because terrorists don’t through mutual recognition often infiltrate from Gaza), but the fence here certainly does and a negotiated division of historic Palestine. It pub- not keep out the mortar shells. Are those who favor physical lishes the bi-monthly Report barriers along the Shomron truly willing to have the rest of on Israeli Settlement in the Israel be a target of shells like we are? Occupied Territories. Eran Sternberg, Gaza Coast Regional Council spokesman, Copyright © 2002 Arutz 7, May 31, 2002 2 ❖ Report on Israeli Settlement July-August 2002 SETTLEMENT POPULATION AND CONSTRUCTION UPDATE, JULY 2002 Settlement Control of West Bank Territory 20 Largest Settlements, by Population, in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, 2002 Settlement built-up areas 1.8% 100,058 dunams Population Settlement planning areas 6.8% 378,000 dunams Settlement 2000 1999 Region Regional/local council 1. Ma’ale Adumim 24,900 23,800 Benjamin jurisdiction* 35.1% 1.963 million dunams 2. Modi’in Ilit 16,400 13,000 Benjamin 3. Betar ’Illit 15,800 12,700 Etzion bloc 4. Ariel 15,600 15,100 Samaria Source: Yehezkel Lein, “Land Grab: Israel’s Settlement Policy 5. Giv’at Ze’ev 10,300 10,000 Benjamin on the West Bank,” B’tselem, May 2002. 6. Efrat 6,430 6,230 Etzion bloc *Regional/local councils have no planning authority in these 7. Kiryat Arba 6,380 6,240 Mount Hebron 8. Karnei Shomron 5,890 5,590 Samaria areas, most of which are located in the Jordan Valley. 9. Oranit 5,070 4,780 Samaria 10. Alfei Menashe 4,580 4,410 Samaria Settlement Expansion in the 11. Beit El 4,120 3,800 Benjamin 12. Sha’are Tikva 3,380 3,220 Samaria Gaza Strip and West Bank 13. Emmanuel 3,040 3,150 Samaria (excluding East Jerusalem) 14. Elkana 2,990 2,940 Samaria 15. Allon Shevut 2,680 2,230 Etzion bloc New settlements/outposts established, 16. Kedumim 2,660 2,540 Samaria February 2001-March 2002 34 17. Beit Arye 2,380 2,330 Samaria 18. Neve Dekalim 2,280 2,230 Gaza Dwelling units completed, 19. Eli 1,900 1,730 Samaria June 1967-September 1993 32,750 20. Ofra 1,880 1,870 Benjamin Total 138,660 127,890 Dwelling units completed, September 1993-October 2001 20,371 20 Smallest Settlements, by Population, Dwelling units started, January-December 2000 4,499 in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, 2002 Dwelling units started, January-June 2001 832 Population Settlement 2000 1999 Region Dwelling units started, October-December 2001 250 1.
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