Israeli settlements and outposts in blue, Palestinian towns in green. Givat Assaf can be seen in the center. Photo courtesy of Peace Now. MA'AN Development Center 19 Spotlight Dividing Palestinian Communities: the Impact of the Givat Assaf Outpost • 600,000: Amount of shekels the Israeli Ministry of Housing and Construc- tion invested in Givat Assaf in housing in the first four years of its exis- tence1 • 93.75: Amount of dunums of land on which Givat Assaf is located2 • 100: Percentage of land on which Givat Assaf is located that is private Pal- estinian land, taken from the villages of Deir Dibwan, Beitan, and Burqa3 • 25: Number of caravans for settlers in Givat Assaf as of 20084 • 5: Number of Israeli settlements within a five kilometer radius of Givat Assaf • 30: Approximate number of settler families living in Givat Assaf5 ince the implementation of the Oslo Accords, settlers have established scattered Shilltop outposts with backchannel funding from the State of Israel. These hilltop outposts typically consist of caravan-style housing structures built on hilltops adjacent to Palestinian villages or between two or more Palestinian villages. The residents of these outposts are typically religious and/or nationalist and are responsible for much of the violence inflicted upon nearby Palestinian residents.6 The outpost of Givat Assaf, located 5km east of Ramallah, was established in 2001 and is part of a bloc of settlements that completely separates Ramallah from the Palestinian village of Deir Dibwan and the Jordan Valley.7 North of Givat Assaf are the settlements of Beit El and Ofra, while to the south are the settlements of Pesagot and Kochav Ya’acov. This settlement bloc was established by the organization Gush Emunim and its successor Amana, which aim to settle Jewish Israelis in the occupied Palestinian territories.8 Although the Sasson Report of 2005 defines in the outpost’s evacuation. In addition, Israeli Givat Assaf as an outpost, which means it is politicians have openly declared that this area illegal under both international and Israeli between Beit El and Ofra will become part of law, the State of Israel has repeatedly delayed the State of Israel, in plain violation of interna- attempts to demolish and evacuate the out- tional law.13 Unfortunately, it seems that the post. This is much to the disdain of the Israeli outpost of Givat Assaf will remain in place for High Court, which has declared the outpost the time being, needlessly punishing Pales- slated for demolition.9 In fact, Givat Assaf was tinians in the area and further isolating their supposed to be demolished on July 1, 2012, communities. at the same time as the outpost of Ulpana, but the State of Israel was granted a delay (Endnotes) by the Israeli High Court until February 2013. The State of Israel has argued that new land 1 Peace Now, Outpost Profile. http://peacenow.org.il/ ownership documents have been discovered eng/content/givat-assaf-t-junction. and need to be analyzed thoroughly to truly 2 Peace Now, Outpost Database. http:// determine if the land on which the outposts peacenow.org.il/eng/content/settlements-and- are located is in fact private Palestinian land.10 outposts?page=1&index=g. 3 Peace Now, Outpost Database. http:// Givat Assaf and the rest of this settlement peacenow.org.il/eng/content/settlements-and- bloc serve to further divide the occupied West outposts?page=1&index=g. Bank. The location of the outpost and the 4 Lazaroff, Tovah, “State Asks Court to Delay Givat myriad security measures taken to guard it Assaf Evacuation,” Jerusalem Post (22 June 2012). have greatly infringed upon the rights of Pal- 5 Glickman, Aviad, “Eviction of Givat Assaf Outpost estinians. For example, the main road of the Delayed,” Yedioth Ahronoth (28 November 2011). village of Burqa has been rendered useless 6 Weizman, Eyal, Hollow Land, (New York: 2007), pg. 4. due to Israeli military-created earth mounds 7 Levinson, Chaim-Haaretz, State Requests Additional on the road, forcing over 2,100 Palestinians Delay of Givat Assaf Outpost Demolition (22 June to find alternative routes to reach neighbor- 2012).; Gush Emunim was a political organization ing villages and cities. Moreover, due to the that gained support and momentum in the early 1970s with a Messianic vision of settling the closure of the road, Palestinian farmers have West Bank and Gaza Strip. After the election of a difficult time reaching their land,11 which Menachem Begin in 1977, the organization became makes it easier for settlers from Givat Assaf to ingrained in the ruling governmental party and confiscate the “unused” land. In addition, set- Amana was set up for the purpose of maintaining tlers from Givat Assaf have attacked Burqa’s and supporting settlements. For more information see Michael Feige’s Settling in the Hearts land on a number of occasions.12 8 For more information about Gush Emunim or Burqa is only one of the Palestinian villages Amana, please see Michael Feige’s Settling in the that is affected by this illegal outpost. Pales- Hearts, 2009. tinian villages such as Beiten and Deir Dib- 9 See Summary of the Opinion Concerning wan have been completely cut off from each Unauthorized Outposts, Givat Assaf does not fulfill the requirements needed to be legal even under other as well as from cities like Ramallah and Israeli law, thereby making it an outpost. Nablus and from the Jordan Valley. This not 10 Magnezi, Aviel, “State Seeks High Court Extension only restricts basic rights of movement, but on Givat Assaf,” Yedioth Ahronoth (22 June 2012).; also access to farmland and ability to export It should be noted that this date was just the latest agricultural products. Instead of being able notification of demolition, not the first. to drive a mere five kilometers with their 11 Hass, Amira, “In West Bank, Buying Land Isn’t produce, Palestinian farmers must spend the Always What It Seems,” Haaretz (10 January 2012). extra money to ship their goods on a much 12 Peace Now, Olive Trees Uprooted Near Givat longer route to arrive at the same location. Assaf (13 July 2012). http://peacenow.org.il/eng/ BurqaOlives. Considering the role Givat Assaf plays in frag- 13 Eldar, Akiva & Levinson, Chaim, “Barak: Ofra and menting the continuity of Palestinian land, it is Beit El Settlements would remain in Israel in Final no surprise there have been numerous delays Status Deal,” Haaretz (15 May 2012). ©MA’AN Development Center 2013.