Home Demolitions: The Links
- A Call for Actions to Stop Demolition of Palestinian Homes (CPT IN HEBRON)
- Save the Homes of Palestine
Campaign on Land Confiscation and House Demolition
LAW is starting a campaign to monitor Israeli policy regarding land and housing issues in the West Bank including Jerusalem.
The Israeli government has tried to control the development of Palestinian community through the demolition of houses. Palestinians are not allowed to build in approximately 60% of the West Bank, 40% of Gaza Strip and 87% of Jerusalem. It is almost impossible for Palestinians to obtain a building permit because of discriminatory building regulations. Palestinians who start to build without permits to house their families are then threatened with the demolition of their homes.
In addition Israel has cleared land, the uprooted trees and destroyed crops belonging to Palestinians. This policy has led to the loss of income and economic hardship for the already underdeveloped areas.
Since 1967 Israel has also pursued a policy of land expropriation of Palestinian land in the Occupied Territories. So far, it is estimated that 212 settlements have been built in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip. The houses located in the settlements are designated for Jewish people only. By establishing settlements Israel is creating irreversible facts on the ground. The de facto annexation of large parts of the territories presents the Palestinians with a 'fait accompli' obstructing progress to a lasting peace.
The creation of bypass road is a consequential effect of settlement construction. Bypass roads are built to enable settlers to literally 'bypass' Palestinian towns and villages and to connect Jewish settlements to each other and to Israel proper. Currently, 12 new 'bypass' roads are being constructed in the West Bank, a network that was not designed to serve the needs of Palestinian population.
For the period covering January 1 to June 30 1999, LAW reported 10,024 dunums confiscated and 14,678 dunums levelled to build either bypass roads or settlements. In addition 2,265 trees were uprooted and 34 houses were demolished in the West Bank including East Jerusalem this year. The aims of such policies have been to prevent the growth and development of the Palestinian communities and increase the number of Israeli settlements.
House demolition, tree uprooting, land confiscation and the construction of settlements and 'bypass' road by Israel contravene international law such as the IV Geneva Convention, the Hague Regulations, the Oslo Accords and the Wye Agreement and are against the letter and spirit of the peace process.
With this campaign LAW wants to raise the awareness of international public on the issue of land and housing. We ask you to call for Israel's respect of human rights and international. As individuals you can help by writing or faxing to Prime Minister Ehud Barak at ebarak@parliament.gov.il, +972-2-566-4838; President Bill Clinton at president@whitehouse.gov, +1-202-456-2461. You can also write or fax your government and forward this flyers to others and to the media.
For more information: LAW - the Palestinian Society for the Protection of Human rights and the Environment at law@lawsociety.org
