Defense Ministry: Building in 29 settlements despite freeze

[Scurrilous]

According to Defense Ministry figures, construction continues in dozens of settlements in violation of building moratorium. Peace Now: 'Begin was right – freeze means nothing'

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3849197,00.html

<snip>

"While the cabinet's announcement of a construction moratorium imposed in West Bank settlements stirred up a fury of public debate, in actuality, settlement building continues, and not just at a negligible pace.

Official numbers from the Defense Ministry show that violations of the building freeze orders were found in no less than 29 settlements. Peace Now reported that they have information about construction in five additional settlements being carried out behind the backs of Civil Administration inspectors. The leftist organization claims that work is being done on Saturdays when inspectors are not on duty.

The figures were presented by Deputy Defense Minister Matan Vilnai in response to a query issued by Meretz Chairman Chaim Oron. Topping the list of settlements are some of the larger settlements such as: Maale Adumim, Givat Ze'ev, Alfei Menashe, Beitar Illit, and Emanuel."

<snip>

"Peace Now Secretary-General Yariv Oppenheimer said in response to Vilnai's report: "Minister Begin was correct when he assured the settlers that the building freeze has no real significance."



Ministry of Defense Acknowledges: One Quarter of all Settlements Breached the Settlement Freeze

<snip>

"In response to the parliamentary question posed by MK Haim Oron (Meretz) the Deputy Defense Minister Matan Vilnai admitted that 29 settlements breached the settlement freeze order.

Peace Now has recorded at least 5 additional settlements (not included in the list provided by the Deputy Ministry of Defense) in which violations of the freeze were documented.

Violations of the Freeze Order in at Least 33 Settlements

The freeze order published on November 26, 2009 prohibited any new construction in the settlements, but allowed the continuation of construction in the cases where foundation work had already begun.

In the majority of settlements construction work is taking place daily, but only works that begun after the order was published are considered a violation of the freeze.

Peace Now has documented at least 14 cases where new foundations were laid after the freeze announcement. It should be noted that these cases are all documented cases with the settlers caught in the act. Some violations were also discovered by the Defense Ministry as indicated in the response by the Deputy Defense Minister to MK Haim Oron (see the complete list below).

Working on Weekends and at Night

Peace Now discovered that in some of the settlements construction work was being carried out on Saturdays (Shabbat), for example in Talmon and Neria.

In addition construction work after dark was also documented."

http://www.peacenow.org.il/site/en/peace.asp?pi=61&docid=4564

[HeresyLives]

1. Well, Obama could end it if he wanted to.

[EFerrari]

2. So disgusting. And last week, this report on Amy's show about a cemetery

being desecrated by, of all things, the construction of a Museum of Tolerance.


Palestinian Families Appeal to UN Over Israeli Construction of “Museum of Tolerance” on Jerusalem’s Historic Mamilla Cemetery


Palestinian families have filed a petition with the United Nations over the Simon Wiesenthal Center’s plans to build a “Museum of Tolerance” over the historic Muslim cemetery in Jerusalem. Opponents of the project have long questioned how a monument to tolerance can be built on the remains of the graves of generations of Palestinian Muslims. We speak to Columbia University professor and author Rashid Khalidi, a petitioner whose ancestors were buried at the Mamilla Cemetery; and Michael Ratner of the Center for Constitutional Rights, which is representing the families in their petition.


http://www.democracynow.org/2010/2/10/palestinian_families_appeal_to_un_over

[provis99]

3. the Museum is designed to promote tolerance between different JEWISH groups.

No one involved in the Museum project gives a shit about dead Palestinian Christians and Muslims. The project si being built by Americans: Zionists and Christian fundamentalists provided the money. I imagine the ordinary Israeli on the street isn't too happy about American outsiders pushing their weird views on them.