A Disaster in the Making: The (Potential) New Settlement in Hebron

The House of Contention

The Settlements In HebronThe Settlements In Hebron

200 Students

40 Families

30 Families

70 People

No. of Settlers in Hebron: 800 No. of Palestinians in Hebron: 190,000

Movement RestrictionsMovement Restrictions

Checkpoints and

Roadblocks

Movement RestrictionsMovement Restrictions

Roads Closure

Movement RestrictionsMovement RestrictionsAreas Affected by the

Closure

Near the Settlements: • Over 1,500 Palestinian shops closed• Almost 900 apartments abandoned

The House of ContentionThe House of Contention

The House of ContentionThe House of ContentionAreas Affected by the

Closure

A Big House, 4,000 m2

may house hundreds of settlers

On March 2007, settlers moved in the house, claiming to have bought it legally.

As a result, the IDF put up new roadblocks and checkpoints

There were many attacks and harassments by settlers against Palestinians in the area.

Connecting to water

Connecting to electricity

The police found that some of the documents presented by the settlers were forged, and the government issued an eviction order to the settlers

Following a long legal struggle, a year and half after the settlers’ entrance to the house

www.btselem.org

On December 2008 the settlers were evicted from the house, after a week of violence against the Palestinians

Palestinian property set on fire by settlers, December 2008

The pictures at the courtesy of Btselem

A settler child throwing stones at Palestinians

On 13/9/12 the District Court ruled that although some of the documents presented by the settlers were forged, the purchase was Kosher and the settlers are the legal owners. In the coming days the Supreme Court will rule on an appeal filed by the Palestinian owner. The Court is expected to rule in favor of the settlers.

www.machsomwatch.org

Ownership ≠ A Right to SettleOwnership ≠ A Right to Settle

From the ruling of the District Court: “this ruling does not create any civil or administrative obligation on the Government authorities, including regarding the issue of future registration of the plaintiff's rights”.

A ruling in the settlers’ favor in no way implies or grants the settlers the right to occupy the site. The authority to establish a settlement in the West Bank rests exclusively in the hands of the Government of Israel

The Current MOD, Yaalon, has the full authority to:

• Withdraw the approval

• Put it on hold

• Prevent the entrance of the settlers to the house based on security or other reasons.

On 11/10/2012, the then MOD Ehud Barak approved the purchase by the settlers.

The Court issued an order preventing the settlers from entering the house until the ruling on the appeal is issued.

1. Be the first new settlement established inside Hebron since the 1980s.

2. Involve a huge increase in the number of Israeli settlers living in this volatile area (potentially hundreds of new residents, bearing in mind that the present population of the Hebron settlements is around 800, total).

3. Be the first Israeli settlement in this particular part of Hebron.

4. Have the same impact on the ground as other settlements in the heart of Hebron, including new restrictions on the movement of Palestinians in the area, including additional road closures and increased harassment of Palestinian residents by both settlers and IDF soldiers.

5. When tensions rise, it may lead to a total closure of the area to Palestinians (as is the case with Shuhada Street). This would mean the cutting off of neighborhoods from one another, the closing of shops and businesses, and increasing pressure on Palestinians to abandon the area altogether.

The establishment of the settlement would: