by the Yesha Council, myesha.org.il, translated and adapted by Hillel Fendel
The Land of Israel lobby in the Knesset held a first-of-its-kind emergency session two weeks ago, entitled: "The Illegal Palestinian Takeover in Area C." It will be recalled that the Oslo Agreements divided Yesha (Judea and Samaria) into three areas: Area A, under full Palestinian Authority control; Area B, under Israeli military control and PA civilian control; and Area C, under full Israeli control – where the PA is supposed to have no say at all.
In attendance at the special session were MKs of both the coalition and the opposition, mayors and municipal council heads from Yesha, and activists.
The session featured the presentation of documentation, maps, and data concerning the illegal Arab construction that has been systematically taking place in Israeli areas over the course of years. Observers commented that the extent of the problem is "hard to believe."
Meir Deutsch, director of Regavim – "a public movement dedicated to the protection of Israel’s national lands and resources," according to its website – showed the participants how over 5,000 illegal structures have been built in the last three years, bringing the total to over 71,000 (!). He explained that an average of seven illegal houses are built every day in Area C alone.
Yesha Council Director-General Yigal Dilmoni warned during the meeting, "Next week additional [Arab] housing units are going to be approved in Area C. We cannot accept that they receive building permits even as they continue to build illegally."
"We want to stop this," Dilmoni continued, "and to make building permits contingent on a halt to both terrorism and stealing territory. This is a 'quiet war,' in which they're stealing before our very eyes strategic parts of our homeland and taking control of them. But instead of fighting back, we're silent! They're silent in the Minhal [IDF Civil Administration that governs Yesha], and silent in the government! We ask that the Knesset and government declare this illegal PA takeover as 'terrorism' and to act accordingly."
Gush Etzion Regional Council head Shlomo Ne'eman added: "This battle is not political, but rather a war for our homes and our national borders. Whoever has not yet understood this, must wake up! We're not talking about Israel's future, but rather its present, here and now. The decision-makers must take responsibility, enforce the law, and outline a clear policy in the face of what is a telling blow at the settlement enterprise."
David Alchayani, Chairman of the Yesha Council, summed up: "We must stop thinking about what the Palestinians [sic] are doing, and start thinking about what we must do. The State of Israel knows how to deal with illegal construction, as it did with the passage of the Kamenitz Law" - a 2017 law that enables enforcement of building code laws without the need to go to court; the Arab sector is strongly opposed to the law.
"But the government simply does not want to, and it is simply ignoring this matter. We demand courageous leadership that will come and evacuate all the illegal Arab homes that have been built in Area C in recent years. Our municipal council heads are alone in the battle, and we don't have the judicial tools to deal with this hostile takeover taking place before our eyes. We ask that you unite around this matter before it becomes too late."