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Palestinian and Israeli villages suffering from the same problem

The expansion of the Alfe Menashe colony is being done against the will of the Israelis and Palestinians that will be most affected.
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An Unwanted Neighborhood

 

Background: Settlements and the Green Line south of Qalqilya

 

The settlement of Alfe Menashe was founded in 1983. As with all settlements it is in direct violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 which states, "The Occupying Power shall not deport or transfer parts of its own civilian population into the territory it occupies," and the Hague Convention of 1907. [1] The population of Alfe Menashe has grown to about 5,500. The growth has come not only at the expense of international law, but at a heavy price paid by the Palestinian villages of Ras Tira, Abu Farda, Daba and others. The confiscation started with 125 dunams from Daba in 1983. [2] Each of these villages has lost lands to Alfe Menashe, and to the "Security Fence" built around it. The construction of the "Security Fence" has cost over 4,000 dunams to the village of Hable and 10% of the land of Daba. [3]

 

Alfe Menashe is due to have three "neighborhoods" built in the coming future. Land clearing for building purposes on one, Nof HaSharon has already begun. [4] Israel provides economic incentives for Israelis to move to the settlements. In the case of Alfe Menashe the incentives can go as high as NIS 6,000. [5] Beyond the basic illegality of the settlement and the expansion of it, each of the proposed neighborhoods is disconnected from the built-up area of Alfe Menashe. This is an attempt to circumvent agreements with the United States that prohibit the establishment of new settlements. It's important to note that construction for these "neighborhoods" was only begun after the "Security Fence" was built around the Palestinian areas. The expansion of Alfe Menashe is happening at an alarming rate. In the first ten months of 2004 there were 76 plots of land sold for housing development along with some 50 apartments. [6]

 

Making Nirit into a Settlement against its will

 

Nirit is an Israeli town just on the Israeli side of the 1949 Armistice Lines (the Green Line). The population is largely secular and liberal, and against the settlements in the Occupied Territories. They are so against the settlements that they've, launched petitions, held demonstrations and gone to the Israeli High Court to prevent becoming part of one. [7] Although the zoning and taxation plans for Nof HaSharon classify it as a neighborhood of Alfe Menashe, the infrastructure of Nof HaSharon connects it across the Green Line to Nirit. This blurring of the Green Line is taking place in several locations including south of West Jerusalem and with Modi'in Illit. With settlements crossing the internationally-recognized border it makes the settlements more palatable to the international community, just a slight border transgression on a map.

 

To the communities affected on both sides of the border though, there are matters of principle (for the people of Nirit) and matters of survival (for the Palestinian villages strangled by the Wall and settlements). For example the villagers in Daba have been separated from 1,200 dunams of their land. [8] Without unlimited access to their own land, the agricultural backbone of the village is under threat. Without dependable sources of income, and with the threat of settlement expansion confiscating some lands and making other parts inaccessible, the Palestinians of Daba and other villages in similar circumstances will not be able to survive economically. [9] With uniform opinion on Nof HaSharon from the Israelis and Palestinians that would be most affected by it, one might think the situation easily solved. Alas the Israeli High Court ruled against the people of Nirit in a decision handed down on 21 February 2005. This leaves any room for change solely in the hands of the policy makers of Israel, and those that could pressure them to make change. [10]

 

Notes:

 

[1]. Convention (IV) relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War. Geneva, 12 August 1949; Article 49. Regulations concerning the Laws and Customs of War on Land. The Hague, 18 October 1907. Article 55 states, "The occupying State shall be regarded only as administrator and usufructuary of public buildings, real estate, forests, and agricultural estates belonging to the hostile State, and situated in the occupied country. It must safeguard the capital of these properties, and administer them in accordance with the rules of usufruct." Alfe Menashe is alternately spelled Alfei Menashe, Alfe Menasheh and Alfei Menasheh.

[2]. Alfe Menashe population as of December, 2003 from Peace Now, available at http://www.peacenow.org.il/site/en/peace.asp?pi=57&docid=191&pos=2&total=147&letter=0&list=12&listpos=2&all=false . See attached map for the Palestinian villages adjacent to the settlement. See also, "Bad Fences make Bad Neighbors – Focus on Daba", NAD-PLO, March 2004.

 

[3]. PENGON/Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign, "New Demolition Orders for Tunnels in Habla Perpetuate Racist Expulsion", 13 December 2003. "Bad Fences make Bad Neighbors – Focus on Daba", NAD-PLO, March 2004.

 

[4]. The Independent; "The Israeli town where no settlers are welcome", Donald Macintyre, 16 December 2004.

 

[5]. Land Grab: Israel's Settlement Policy in the West Bank; B'Tselem, May 2002.

 

[6]. Agence France Presse, "Bulldozers bite into Israel's promise over settlements", 29 November 2004. The Jerusalem Post, "City-settlements maintain appeal", Jessica Steinberg, 14 October 2004.

 

[7]. The Jerusalem Post, "Israeli community petitions against unwanted West Bank suburb", Dan Izenberg; 8 November 2004. Internet petition campaign can be viewed at http://www.petitiononline.com/Nirit/petition.html.

 

[8] "Bad Fences make Bad Neighbors – Focus on Daba", NAD-PLO, March 2004.

 

[9] Not all it Seems: Preventing Palestinians Access to their Lands West of the Separation Barrier in the Tulkarm-Qalqilya Area; B'Tselem, June 2004.

 

[10] The Jerusalem Report, "Blurred Boundaries", Ina Friedman, 21 March 2005

 

Action: What you can do

 

One way to help change policy is to contact government representatives. Many of them do not seem to be overly concerned about, or perhaps they're just ignorant of, Israeli crimes in the Occupied Territories. It's possible though, that enough pressure can be applied from below to make them feel less elect-able if they don't modify their positions.  The draft letter below is offered below is simply a template to be used or modified as you see fit.

 

Those interested in assisting Nirit in the struggle to not be a settlement can contact Amira Bahat at n_nirit@yahoo.com. Those interested in doing further work against the Wall, including with the villages near Alfe Menashe, are encouraged to contact/support the Palestinian Environmental NGO Network through their http://www.stopthewall.org site. There are sister campaigns against the Wall as well. Visit http://www.stopthewall.us or War on Want's http://www.nowall.org.uk for more information.

--Phone, fax, or email your representatives directly.  If you are a U.S. Resident or citizen, find your representative's contact information at www.senate.gov and www.house.gov. If you have the ability, one fax is generally worth about ten emails.

--To help us gauge the response, please send a cc of your messages to lucia@icahd.org.    

--To email Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, write pm_eng@pmo.gov.il or fax him at: 972-2-670-5361

SAMPLE LETTER

 

Dear…,

 

The settlement of Alfe Menashe was founded in 1983. As with all settlements it is in direct violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 which states, "The Occupying Power shall not deport or transfer parts of its own civilian population into the territory it occupies," and the Hague Convention of 1907. The population of Alfe Menashe has grown to about 5,500. The growth has come not only at the expense of international law, but at a heavy price paid by the Palestinian villages of Ras Tira, Abu Farda, Daba and others. Each of these villages has lost lands to Alfe Menashe, and to the "Security Fence" built around it. The construction of the "Security Fence" has cost over 4,000 dunams to the village of Hable and 10% of the land of Daba. Alfe Menashe is due to have three "neighborhoods" built in the coming future. Land clearing for building purposes on one, Nof HaSharon has already begun

 

Nirit is an Israeli town just on the Israeli side of the 1949 Armistice Lines (the Green Line). The population so against the settlements that they've, launched petitions, held demonstrations and gone to the Israeli High Court to prevent becoming part of one. Although the zoning and taxation plans for Nof HaSharon classify it as a neighborhood of Alfe Menashe, the infrastructure of Nof HaSharon connects it across the Green Line to Nirit. To the communities affected on both sides of the border though, there are matters of principle (for the people of Nirit) and matters of survival (for the Palestinian villages strangled by the Wall and settlements).

 

With uniform opinion on Nof HaSharon from the Israelis and Palestinians that would be most affected by it, one might think the situation easily solved. Alas the Israeli High Court ruled against the people of Nirit in a decision handed down on 21 February 2005. This leaves any room for change solely in the hands of the policy makers of Israel, and those that could pressure them to make change. With that in mind please use whatever influence you might have to convince the Israeli government to obey the wishes of its own citizens and respect the basic rights of Palestinians.

 

 

regards, ….

 

 
 

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