Israel confirms settlers ramping up West Bank construction

[ProgressiveMuslim]

By Amos Harel, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: yesha council, settlers

The defense establishment confirmed that in recent weeks West Bank settlers have been making a noticeable effort to expedite construction, in an attempt to maximize the "facts on the ground" before the United States and Israel reach an agreement on a settlement freeze.

A senior security source said this week that the defense establishment's view on the situation was reflected in reports published in Haaretz last Friday, which stated that extensive construction is currently being carried out in at least 11 settlements.

"The settlers are very much in tune with the ticking political clock," the senior defense source said. "You can sense it on the ground, with the infrastructure work that is being done, but also in more minor things. They are acting without any legal authorization and are ignoring the state.

"The approach at this time is that whoever can, goes ahead and builds," the source continued. "It begins with the official leadership of the Yesha Council and ends with the hilltop youth."

He pointed out that the phenomenon of unbridled construction is evident in both the more established settlements and in the illegal outposts.

read on...
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1123042.html

[ProgressiveMuslim]

1. Let's deal with the fact that these "extremists" "right wingers" call the shots, and that is OK by

most Israelis... it's obvious they don't care enough to change things.

Rather than make the usual comments, which portray the settlers as "outsiders" in Israeli society, let's deal with the fact that this isn't the fringe of Israel... THIS IS ISRAEL. Settlement expansion has been the MO since June 11, 1967.

Can we talk about the reality that IS?

[xc8mip]

2. Let Palestine charge rent for it !

send them a rent bill after they finish construction .Somewhere must be record about previous owners of the land so use the same laws Israelis are using to recover compensation for property left in Europe .

[Violet_Crumble]

3. The pretense that the govt is at odds with the extremist settlers is silly...

What have they done to stop settlers setting up those outposts (we're not even talking about expansion of equally illegal existing settlements)? They put a ban on taking caravans from Israel into the West Bank and wonder why that doesn't work. Maybe if they got real and banned these people from entering the West Bank at all, I'd be less inclined to think that the Israeli govt isn't sitting there giving quiet nods and winks to the settlers while mouthing all the right sounds publicly...

[Scurrilous]

4. Israeli Settlements in the West Bank (37 photos total).

"Relations between the Israeli government and the Obama administration have become tense lately over the issue of growing Israeli settlements in the West Bank. Nearly 300,000 Israelis now live in such settlements, alongside some 2.5 million Palestinians. The tense disputes over the settlements touch on religious and historical claims, local and international laws, and, of course political disagreements. The settlements range in size and permanence from "wildcat" outposts made of plywood shacks to established cities of tens of thousands. The international community views over 100 of the settlements as illegal under international law. Despite calls from the U.S. for a complete freeze on expansion, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that, though Israel would not build any new settlements and would dismantle unauthorized outposts, it would still allow building within existing settlements to accommodate "natural growth." Collected here are some scenes from West Bank settlements over the past few months.

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/06/israeli_settlements_in_the_wes.html