Haaretz - Under Likud, illegal outposts received NIS 70 million

[Englander]

The Housing Ministry allocated at least NIS 70 million to build infrastructure and erect public structures in 82 illegal outposts in the West Bank during the prime ministerial terms of Benjamin Netanyahu (1996-1999) and Ariel Sharon (2001-2004), Haaretz has learned from an appendix to attorney Talia Sasson's report on the outposts.

The document also shows that most of the illegal outposts reported by Sasson were established on privately owned Palestinian land.

According to the Sasson report's appendix, 15 of the outposts are located entirely on private land; 39 are partially on private land and partially on state-owned land, or on land whose ownership rights are in question; and 26 lie entirely on state-owned land. Sasson writes in the appendix that an outpost built even partially on privately owned Palestinian land cannot retroactively receive legal status.

As a result, 54 of the 87 outposts reviewed - out of a total of 105 outposts - are "irreparable," the appendix concludes.

>snip

The sums noted in the appendix do not include tens of millions of shekels allocated to the outposts by the Defense Ministry, the World Zionist Organization Settlement Division, regional councils and donors from Israel and abroad. The World Zionist Organization did not furnish data on the funds it invested in the outposts and said only that it funded initial encampments, planning, production means and generators.

More at;
Haaretz

[Englander]

1. Pines-Paz slams government policy on illegal outposts

'Interior Minister Ophir Pines-Paz yesterday slammed government policy on illegal outposts in the West Bank, following the report in Haaretz of defense establishment figures showing illegal construction is ongoing.

"The government is not enforcing the law, but rather is encouraging the breaking of it," Pines-Paz said.

"The reality with regard to the outposts is the result of lack of action by the government, which has avoided carrying out the recommendation of the Sasson committee to dismantle the settlements," said Pines-Paz, who is a member of the committee in charge of implementing the recommendations of the Sasson report on illegal outposts.

MK Haim Oron (Yahad), who initiated an urgent debate in the Knesset about continued construction in the outposts following the Haaretz report, said, "it is inconceivable for the government to conduct an all-out war against illegal construction in the Arab sector on one hand, and to continue its blatant violation of the law involving settlements and illegal outposts on the other."

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/585115.html

[Englander]

2. Sasson - 'construction continues in the outposts'

'Dozens of buildings erected in outposts in last three months

14:09 06/06/2005

Not a thing has changed in the government's handling of illegal settlement outposts in the three months since a comprehensive report on the issue was completed, the report's author, attorney Talia Sasson, said Sunday.

Speaking at a seminar on the settlements organized by Ben-Gurion University, Sasson said that building in the West Bank outposts was continuing just as before. "Since the report was submitted, nothing has happened," she said. "It was well publicized, and that's good, but everything is continuing. Perhaps the Housing Ministry has closed a few taps, but there has been no operative decision and construction continues in the outposts."

"The goal of the report was to end the illegal construction," the former government attorney added. "This is not a matter of political outlook; we are talking about the state violating its own laws, and when a state's own authorities break the law, this is a severe blow to the rule of law. When such things happen, the democratic system is liable to be undermined."

A Haaretz investigation confirmed Sasson's statement that outpost construction continues as usual; the only change it found is a slight improvement in the defense establishment's gathering of information about such construction.

Contd at;
Haaretz

[Englander]

3. Said Jabba;

'November 16, 1998

In comments broadcast on Israeli radio, Israeli Foreign Minister Ariel Sharon urged Jewish settlers to grab West Bank hilltops before a permanent agreement is reached on the area where Palestinians hope to build an independent homeland.

"Everyone there should move, should run, should grab more hills, expand the territory," exhorted Sharon. "Everything that's grabbed, will be in our hands. Everything we don't grab will be in their hands."'

[bemildred]

4. A brilliant, subtle strategist, he is ... nt