Following our petition, Civil Administration forces tore down an illegal Palestinian school, built in the Herodion Nature Reserve and Heritage Site in Gush Etzion.
63 days after the Jerusalem District Court ordered to seal off and demolish the illegal structure, and despite UN efforts to delay law enforcement, the school was taken down.
¹Following our petition, Civil Administration forces tore down an illegal Palestinian school, built in the Herodian Nature Reserve & Heritage Site in Gush Etzion. pic.twitter.com/9kmY71bRXE
This school is only one out of more than 100 illegal school buildings that were built in Judea and Samaria, as part of the Palestinian Authority’s plan to take over Area C and the open spaces.
Yesterday morning’s enforcement is the first step in restoring law and order to the area, and it is certainly not the last: now, we need to restore the site and deal with the hundreds of similar cases of illegal takeovers of lands and nature reserves in this area and beyond.
The Regavim Movement submitted a petition to the High Court this morning (Wednesday) demanding that the Police Commissioner and the Attorney General be required to stop the ‘Day of Disruption’ protest planned this week and investigate its leaders for sedition and incitement to commit crimes.
After a number of urgent appeals to the Police Commissioner went unanswered, this morning the Regavim Movement filed a petition in the High Court of Justice against the Israel Police, the Attorney General and the “Black Flags” Movement, demanding investigation and indictment of “protest” leaders who are calling for large-scale illegal action, including blocking roads and intersections, demonstrations and rioting – all without permits as required by law, in violation of freedom of movement, freedom of occupation, security and public order.
“The publicity for the “Day of Disruption” encourages people to join protest actions, as it has in the past: planned, deliberate illegal activity including blocking roads and intersections and the disruption of public order at dozens of points throughout the State of Israel – none of it ever having received a demonstration permit. This wild and illegal activity has caused, and will cause, a risk to transportation routes and public spaces, confrontations with passers-by who object to the violation of their freedom of movement, and more,” according to the petition.
The petition further charges the Israel Police with repeatedly failure to fulfil its duty to maintain public order, to protect the public interest and to maintain and uphold the law. Thus, the Israeli public has become accustomed to weekly reports of the blockage of the Ayalon Highway by rioters who “spill over” from the anti-judicial reform demonstrations, leaving the Israel Police powerless to prevent the shutdown of the main traffic artery in the Gush Dan region.
Regavim’s petition cites former President Aharon Barak’s ruling regarding roadblocks during the 2005 Gaza Disengagement: “Freedom of speech is not a permit for rioting; violence is the opposite of permitted speech. Freedom of speech is not a permit for incitement; freedom of speech is not a permit for rebellion. Indeed, freedom of speech (and demonstration) does not protect the freedom to prevent a woman in labor from reaching the hospital; freedom of speech (and demonstration) does not protect the freedom to prevent the fire department from arriving at the scene of a fire; freedom of speech (and demonstration) does not protect the freedom to paralyze law enforcement mechanisms and bring about their collapse; freedom of demonstration does not protect freedom “to bring the country to a halt” and endanger personal and public security. Anyone claiming the right to take these liberties in the name of freedom of expression, does not make this claim from the point of view of democracy, but from the point of view of anarchy.”
“The State of Israel is in anarchy – under the auspices of the Israel Police and the judicial system,” says Meir Deutsch, CEO of the Regavim Movement. “We respect legitimate protest actions, but the opponents of the government have long since crossed every red line. The campaign of incitement and hatred that is being waged against millions of voters must be stopped, and the mortal blows that are being inflicted on the citizens of the State of Israel, the resilience of the IDF and the fabric of Israeli society must be halted. The time has come for the Supreme Court to intervene. This same Court knew how to stand up to the opponents of the Gaza disengagement, declaring “the rhetoric of democracy and human rights in their mouths, but their actions are of anarchy and violation of human rights. No democratic country should agree to this.” We demand that the law be upheld no less vigilantly today.”
Shortly before Pesach, Naomi Kahn, Director of Regavim’s International Division, participated in an international conference convened by thinc. – The Hague Initiative for International Cooperation – following the recent publication of their in-depth study of European policy in the Middle East, “Two States for Two Peoples? European Policy and the Arab-Israel Conflict.”
The conference, titled “Israel on Trial: The political and legal fight against Israel in the UN and other institutions – and possible ways forward,” brought together academics and activists, experts in international law, European policy makers and representatives of leading think-tanks and civil society organizations for a high-level discussion of current realities, policies and challenges facing Israel and Zionists around the world.
Plenary sessions, workshops and round-table discussions focused on “lawfare,” Europe’s two-state policy, European support for illegal activity in Judea and Samaria, and the unprecedented challenges facing Israeli in international bodies, including the UNHRC Commission of Inquiry, the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice.
Regavim’s presentation added an invaluable dimension to the discussion, providing documentation and analysis of the outcomes of European policy. Cooperation with the other leading organizations and experts in attendance is already in the works.
“Have any of you ever been to the quarry?” – that’s what the judge asked the State representatives in last week’s District Court hearing in the case of the Beit Fajjar quarry.
The Beit Fajjar quarry, located in east Gush Etzion and mainly in Area C, is the largest illegal quarry in the country, spreading over about 1,600 acres.
In the last decade, Regavim has filed two petitions against the illegal quarrying – which, besides taking over huge swaths of land, causes major damage to archaeological sites.
Photo credit: Preserving The Eternal
In last week’s hearing, the State rejected the claims that there is ongoing damage to archeology, and claimed that quarry has not expanded significantly since 2005. Regavim’s lawyers presented findings that prove the opposite, causing the judge to wonder why the State authorities are unaware of the current reality. The judge demanded that up-to-date evaluations be carried out and an answer submitted to the courts within 60 days.
We’ll continue to monitor the situation on the ground, as part of the battle to preserve Israel’s land resources.
In the heart of the Land of Israel, an exclusive new housing project is underway. To qualify for this prime location you must have Jewish blood on your hands: Eligibility is for those who have served a minimum 5-year prison sentence in an Israeli security prison.
Recently, work began on a new neighborhood of 100 luxury villas in Area B – the portion of Judea and Samaria under Palestinian Authority civil jurisdiction and Israeli security jurisdiction.
The project developer, the Ramallah-based “Al Karameh Corporation for Prisoner Housing,” is an association whose members have served sentences of at least five years in Israeli prisons for terror-related convictions. The governing board of the corporation boasts family members of notorious terrorists, including Ablah Saadat, wife of Ahmad Saadat, Secretary General of the People’s Front for the Liberation of Palestine, and Naim Al-Sharif, father of Imad Al-Sharif, a convicted Hamas terrorist.
The new neighborhood has a commanding position overlooking Route 60 at the British Police Junction. This is the spot from which countless terrorist incidents have been launched, including in 2002 when an Palestinian-Arab sniper murdered 7 IDF soldiers, 3 civilians and injured 6 others.
Construction underway in the new neighborhood
This proves unequivocally that those calling upon Israel and the world to prop up and even strengthen the Palestinian Authority are completely out of touch with reality. It is high time that we understand precisely who and what we are dealing with: The Palestinians – both the leadership and the rank and file civilian population – idolize terrorists and consider them freedom fighters and martyrs, while the Israeli government agonizes over the morality of deporting the families of terrorists or of instituting the death penalty.
While all this hand-wringing and moralizing is going on, terrorism continues to claim the lives of Israelis throughout the Land of Israel, and the bloody tally of Jewish victims continues to swell.
An aerial view of an illegal house – built for terrorists
In the case of Jordanian Law #40, the racist law still in force that prevents individual Jews from buying land in Judea and Samaria, the High Court of Justice claimed that there is no justifiable reason to intervene. When Regavim petitioned against the law, the High Court judges sent us to the legislator.
However, in two other cases, the High Court deemed it right to intervene: when a Jewish community refused to allow an Arab to move in, the judges ruled that he can live there (the Kaadan case); and when a Jew requested to lease land in a Bedouin town, the Court rejected his petition (the Avitan case).
The High Court of Justice intervenes in government and Knesset decisions only if they seem unreasonable. But it’s clear that the question of what’s reasonable or not depends on your political outlook. If it is *reasonable* to cancel the law against infiltration in Israel and *unreasonable* to cancel a racist law which prohibits the sale of property to Jews, what does that say about “reasonableness” in the eyes of the justices?
Purim is over. It’s time to take the masks off, and restore the balance between the different branches of Israeli government.
Aerial documentation of illegal construction on the ruins of the the northern Shaomron communities
In a hearing of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on the repeal of the Disengagement Law, Avraham Binyamin last week, Director of Regavim’s Policy Division, presented documentation of massive illegal Palestinian construction in northern Samaria in general, and particularly on the ruins of the Ganim, Kadim and Sa-Noor communities that were de-populated as part of the 2005 disengagement plan. The aerial photographs presented to the Committee show thousands of illegal Arab structures in Area C, the portion of Judea and Samaria under full Israeli jurisdiction – hundreds of them built only in the past year.
Far worse than the staggering quantity of this illegal construction is its strategic quality: These illegal structures create a land bridge between blocs of Palestinian Authority-controlled Area B settlements, undermining the Oslo framework that left the question of territorial contiguity under Palestinian Authority control for a negotiated resolution.
“The 2005 Disengagement Law is one more element abetting the creation of a terrorist state in the heart of the Land of Israel,” said Binyamin, who presented aerial photos of large-scale illegal construction in the region. “The land on which the de-populated Jewish communities of northern Shomron once stood – Ganim, Kadim, Sa-Noor – have been overtaken by illegal Arab construction, despite the fact that the IDF ostensibly retains control of the territory.”
“By emptying the northern Shomron communities of their Jewish residents, the Disengagement Law opened the door for Palestinian Authority annexation of the territory which the Civil Administration has done absolutely nothing to prevent,” he added.
Meir Deutsch, Director General of Regavim, released a statement following the Knesset hearing: “Nearly a century ago, Joseph Trumpeldor summarized an essential truth of the Zionist ethos that is no less relevant today than it was in the pre-State era: “The place where the last row is plowed will be the border of our country.” Land on which there is no Jewish presence will be lost. Settlement and security are not only related, they are inseparable.”
“The false prophecies of the architects of the “disengagement,” who claimed that ceding territory would enhance Israel’s security, continue to blow up in our faces. Precisely because there is no longer a Jewish presence on the ground, there is no security. The borders of the State of Israel are being re-drawn by the Palestinian Authority – without negotiation, without compromise, in ways that threaten the security of the entire State of Israel. It is long past time to reverse this disastrous policy.”
Video: Avraham Binyamin’s presentation in the Knesset (Hebrew)
The illegal Bedouin outpost of Khan al Ahmar near Kfar Adumim
For the ninth time: the State of Israel asks the High Court to allow another postponement of its response to Regavim’s petition for the evacuation of the Palestinian Authority’s flagship outpost, Khan al Ahmar. Regavim: “A right-wing government is tested by deeds, not by words.”
The extension granted to the state four months ago to respond to Regavim Movement petition to relocate the Bedouin squatters of Khan al Ahmar ended today, and the state has requested an additional four-month extension to present its position.
“The political echelon remains steadfast in its position that the rule of law requires the demolition orders to be carried out in the Khan al Ahmar compound,” according to the state’s request, adding that in the weeks since the formation of the present government, the new head of the National Security Council, Tzachi Hanegavi, has been working in cooperation with the National Security Advisor, representatives of the Ministry of Defense, the IDF, the General Security Service (Shin Bet), the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Justice, and other government representatives.
“The details of this intensive effort speak to the complexity, sensitivity and importance that state officials attach to compliance with the conditional orders already issued in this matter, as well as the fact that the issue is a high priority… On the other hand, given the complexity of the issue and its sensitivity, the high level of interest in the international community and the and implications for the foreign relations and security of the State of Israel at the present time, those charged with handling this case at the professional level have been instructed to complete all necessary steps required to formulate an appropriate response to the conditional order as soon as possible. The formulation of a detailed response on such a sensitive and complicated issue justifies the position of the political echelon that an additional stay be granted to enable the professionals to complete their work and to submit a comprehensive analysis to the political echelon.”
The Regavim Movement issued a strongly-worded statement criticizing the postponement request. “We were hoping for an appropriate response by a national right-wing government – as promised in the election campaign,” said Meir Deutsch, Director General of Regavim. “There is no justification for this. Like Cato in ancient Rome, we continue to repeat the same demand, to hold the same consistent position, to call upon our representatives in the government to act immediately to evacuate this illegal encampment – as well as dozens of other Palestinian Authority outposts created in the same mold – not 300 meters away from its present location, but to the neighborhood prepared precisely for this purpose near Abu Dis.”
Regavim responded to the state’s request for postponement by calling on the High Court to issue a final order, as it intimated it would when it granted the previous postponement, and put an end to the saga once and for all. “This is an extreme case of ‘lack of reasonableness’,” added Deutsch. “After all is said and done, this case will prove whether the High Court applies the same standard of reasonableness to cases from both sides of the political divide, or whether the reasonableness standard is nothing more than a judicial fig leaf for a particular agenda. We await a final judgement for the relocation of the Khan al Ahmar outpost in a manner that is consistent with Israel’s national interests.”
Interview: Regavim’s Naomi Kahn speaks to Kan English Radio about Khan al Ahmar postponement
This morning (Monday), Likud MKs Danny Danon and Yoel (Yuli) Edelstein joined the Regvaim Movement and the Jerusalem Environs Forum – and faced by a pro-Palestinian demonstration. Regavim: “The question isn’t whether or not, but how and when the outpost will be evacuated.”
The deadline for the state’s response in the Khan al Ahmar case is rapidly approaching – and the political pressure is climbing. This morning (Monday), World Likud Chairman MK Danny Danon and Chairman of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee MK Yoel (Yuli) Edelstein were joined by Likud activists on a tour of Khan al Ahmar hosted by the Regavim Movement and the Forum for Jerusalem Satellite Communities. A group Palestinian Arab and leftist activists protested nearby, waving Palestinian flags.
Less than 2 weeks remain for the state to submit its response to the High Court of Justice in the sixth petition submitted by the Regavim Movement regarding the illegal outpost adjacent to Route 1, the main access road connecting Jerusalem to the Dead Sea and Israel’s eastern border. This most recent deadline marks the eighth time the state has delayed compliance. The fast-approaching deadline of 1 February is the ninth such extension granted by the High Court – which also declared that it would be the last.
MK Danny Danon: “I have come here today to strengthen our government as it prepares its response to the High Court regarding the evacuation of this site. Israel is a state governed by law and order, and we must not accept selective enforcement. Khan al Ahmar must be evacuated immediately. I am well acquainted with the international community. Our friends around the world will understand that there can be no place for selective enforcement that discriminates against Jews in Judea and Samaria.”
The illegal outpost of Khan al Ahmar next to Route 1, east of Jerusalem, September 2022
Meir Deutsch, Director General of Regavim: “The State of Israel must understand that this is a mega-issue that goes far beyond the Khan al Ahmar outpost. Our annual documentation and mapping of the illegal construction in Area C proves that in the past decade the Palestinian Authority has taken tremendous strides toward establishing a de facto state in the heart of the Land of Israel – and the government is simply closing its eyes to reality.”
“The new government must prove to the voters who elected them that it is a real Zionist nationalist government – and place the Battle for Area C at the top of the agenda. The question regarding Khan al Ahmar is no longer whether the outpost will be evacuated, but when and how.”
Recent pictures of illegal gas stations in the Negev
While the cost to fill up your car continues to rise, there are those living in a parallel universe – in Bedouistan.
For many years, Regavim has been sounding the alarm bells about the phenomenon of dozens of illegal gas stations that are scattered throughout the Negev. Even when Police forces manage to shut one down, three new ones appear.
These gas stations don’t meet any regulatory standard, endanger lives, damage the environment, and bring in millions of shekels for criminal organizations that avoid tax payments.
This is another major task for the new government and Knesset: to restore governance in the Negev and the Galilee.
Learn more about the lawlessness and lack of governance in Israel’s Wild South in “Bedouistan” – the book published by Meir Deutsch, Regavim’s Director General. Place your order here.
