Planning in Area C of the West Bank - presentation

Planning in Area C of the West Bank

ď‚ĄMilitary planning

for Palestinians; civil for settlers

Military planning authority is responsible for widespread infringement of human rights on the West Bank ď‚Ą

It is possible to dramatically improve human rights in the West Bank without any political agreement.

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Pressure the Israeli authorities to give over the planning authority for Area C to the Palestinians.

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Say no to discriminatory planning on the basis of ethnicity.

Planning on the basis of ethnicity ď‚Ą

The Palestinians in Area C have no civil planning committees where the residents have representation, as is accepted practice in a democracy. The Israeli army is meant to plan for them.

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In the nearby settlements, where Jews live, there are civil planning committees where the residents are represented.

Planning on the basis of ethnicity ď‚Ą

Up until 1971 there were Palestinian planning committees in the West Bank.

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Then military order 418 cancelled them and, at the same time, defined "special" local committees for the settlers; for the Palestinians, an army planning committee was appointed.

Area C cannot be separated from the rest of the West Bank ď‚Ą

There is no "Area C" region that is separate geographically from the rest of the West Bank and from the perspective of infrastructure and development resources.

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Areas A and B, which are crowded and fragmented, cannot exist as they should without being connected to the open areas of Area C, which compose 60% of the West Bank.

Maximum land, minimum planning ď‚Ą

So what happens in Area C itself, after it is cut off from the rest of the West Bank?

No planning: Demarcation, reduction and Displacement 

“Master Plans” for Palestinian villages characterized by demarcation purposes; carried out by an outline that not even include all the built-up area.

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Only 17 Palestinian village are included in those "demarcation plans“.

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149 Palestinian villages in Area C do not even have such planning – they are recognized as illegal villages and are liable to be destroyed.

A plan for displacement of Palestinians 

Another system of demarcation has been to proclaim the land as “state land.”

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The military authorities treat state land as land for Israelis - in practice: for Jews only.

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All the planning boundaries described apply to the small amount of land that is still in Palestinian hands after the proclamations and the taking over of land, as “state land”.

A plan for displacement of Palestinians ď‚Ą

The military planning committees that deal with the Palestinian villages do not include any Palestinians on the committees, but do have settlers sit on them – a conflict of interests?

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Settler circles have not tried to hide the fact that a reduction in Palestinian building is essential, from their point of view, for the expansion of the Jewish settlements.

The plan for displacement of Palestinians 

From a document of the "Settlement Enterprise" of the Zionist Histadrut concerning South Samaria: "The Arab population will continue to live in the same towns and villages. This is by crowding their villages and town …and not by setting up new ones or by unsupervised expansion…this is in contrast to the Jewish population which is supposed to use up wide areas for settlement needs.“

Quoted in the report of "Bimkom"

The planning situation within the Palestinian areas: ď‚Ą

The master plans are therefore no more than "blue line plans" which are designed to determine boundaries for village development.

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This is not planning, but demarcation and restriction.

Results of demarcation – massive demolitions and forcible transfer 

(According to the report of OCHA – the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) - The OCHA report of August 2011 found that one of the main causes of the forcible transfer of the Palestinian population in Area C was the planning policy.

The planning policy leads to increased destruction of houses as a result of its severity: 

The results of the demarcation – massive demolitions of houses and forcible transfer of the population.

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Since 1987, 5,154 homes have been demolished in the territories for administrative reasons [not including demolitions as punishment, etc.]

Results of demarcation – massive demolitions and forcible transfer 

Demolitions during 2009 caused the forcible transfer of 319 people, including 167 children.

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Only in the first half of 2011, there was evidence of the forcible uprooting of 656 Palestinians, among them 351 children.

Results of demarcation – massive demolitions and forcible transfer 

These adults and children were displaced against their will, and not for their own good, sometimes to Areas A and B, which are crowded and restricted, and sometimes to other parts of Area C.

Results of demarcation – massive demolition and forcible transfer Since the beginning of 2010, 37 structures have been destroyed, including those vital for collecting rainwater, with ten of them destroyed in 2011. This caused great harm to the quality of life. 

This is contrary to the spirit of Judaism [ if he (the enemy) be thirsty, give him water to drink - Proverbs, 25,21], human morality and international treaties.

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The report of international expert, Professor Eyal Benvenisti determined that such widespread destruction was a severe infringement of international law.

The demarcation of Palestinian areas is bad for Israelis ď‚Ą

A military planning authority does not come from security considerations; in a rare case where security needs conflict with planning outlines, the specific plan can be altered.

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Such planning only fuels extremist ideology.

Planning and human rights ď‚Ą

Planning needs to reflect basic human and civil rights, and principles of fairness and equality.

What does the appeal to the Supreme Court include? ď‚Ą

The petitioners, who include Rabbis for Human Rights, call on the Minister of Defence to restore the Palestinian planning committees, which were abolished in 1971.

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