5tjt Freeze

Israel Announces Freeze; JNF Helping Build New PA City BY SAMUEL SOKOL On Wednesday evening last week, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel announced the implementation of a settlement freeze. According to Netanyahu, the freeze will include a “suspension of new [building] permits and new construction in Judea and Samaria for a period of ten months.”

Mesika called the government decision a “racist decree.”

The prime minister stated, “The government of Israel is taking a very big step towards peace today.” The Palestinian Authority respond-

Photo By Yoni Kempinski (INN)

Shomron Mayor Gershom Mesika tears up the freeze order in front of an IDF messenger and the media.

ed negatively to Netanyahu’s overture, with the PLO’s chief negotiator, Dr. Saeb Erakat, announcing that “Israel’s refusal to implement a full settlement freeze fell far short of its obligations under existing agreements and international law, and far short of the minimal requirements for a genuine peace process to resume.” “Rather than a full settlement freeze, Israel is proposing a series of ‘exceptions’ to a full freeze that allow for continued settlement construc-

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Settlement Freeze Continued from Page 33 tion, especially in and around occupied East Jerusalem. There is nothing new in this announcement and no change in the status quo of settlements, occupation, and Israel’s daily violations of international law that remain the major obstacle to peace,” Dr Erakat said. Government messengers began delivering copies of the freeze order to municipalities throughout Judea and Samaria this week. Several mayors, including Gershon Mesika, head of the Samaria Regional Council, tore up the orders as they arrived. Mesika called the government decision a “racist decree,” complaining that Arabs are building illegally throughout Samaria without government intervention. Mesika further stated that it is “very disturbing that on the 29th of November, [the anniversary of] when the United Nations recognized [the Jewish] right to the land of Israel [in 1947], the government of Israel issues such orders to hurt the settlement movement.” Mesika has accused Netanyahu of “choking the settlement enterprise.” Protesters from the settlement movement have attempted to block building inspectors from the Civil Administration from entering several settlements. Ran Nachman, mayor of the city of Ariel, has called on his colleagues throughout Judea and Samaria to cut their ties with the defense ministry and has publically stated that he will not be actively enforc-

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ing the building freeze. The mayor stated that the Civil Administration can do as it likes, but will receive no active aid from his office.

Palestinians and Jewish settlement in Judea and Samaria. When asked about Mayor Nachman’s comments by the Five Towns Jewish Times, a spokesperson for

The only construction permitted to be undertaken during the freeze is the finishing of structures whose foundations have already been laid.

The Civil Administration is the branch of the Defense Department in charge of all the activities regarding the

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the Civil Administration replied that the freeze “is a government decision and we are committed to carrying it out.”

Photo By Eli Rosenfeild

Protesters blocking path of entry for government building inspectors at the town of Revava in Samaria.

Civil Administration inspectors toured 30 communities on Monday, issuing 50 work stoppage orders and impounding four pieces of mechanical engineering equipment that were used in ground preparation work, including the drilling of foundations. The inspectors visited over 40 additional communities on Tuesday and issued 14 more stopwork orders. The only construction permitted to be undertaken during the freeze is the finishing of structures whose foundations have already been laid. The air force conducted fly-over reconnaissance missions above settlements to document their current size photographically. The prime minister has promised “to enable normal life for the 300,000 Israeli citizens, our brothers and sisters, who live in Judea and Samaria,” stating that the freeze “will not include the schools, the kindergartens, the synagogues, and public buildings necessary for the continuation of normal life over the period of the suspension.” Oded Revivi, the mayor of Efrat in Gush Etzion, responded skeptically to Netanyahu’s claims. Mr. Revivi said that since all permits for public building must now go through the overworked Civil Administration headquarters in Bet El rather than the mayors, the pace of approval for necessary infrastructure projects will slow down considerably. Furthermore, says Revivi, the money for public building comes from fees paid for civilian building permits, which will no longer be granted during the freeze.

According to Revivi, what Netanyahu has said to the press “does not actually comply with what is written in the restriction order.”

JNF Plants Near Ramallah Just days after the announcement of the freeze, Haaretz reported that the Jewish National Fund is planting 3,000 saplings north of Ramallah where a new Arab city, Ruwabi, is due to be established. The JNF responded to an inquiry by the Five Towns Jewish Times, stating that “none of the trees bought by our donors were used for this purpose.” The JNF describes itself as having been appointed “national foresters by the Israeli government.” David Bedein, director of the Center for Near East Policy Research, has expressed concern over the JNF’s involvement in the establishment of Ruwabi. Bedein, who has been publishing research on Palestinian Authority and Fatah military capabilities ever since the August 2009 renewed Fatah declaration of war against Israel, notes that “the new Fatah city will be in striking distance of Jerusalem and this makes anyone who is assisting that enterprise into an ally of the Fatah military effort.” Bedein stated that “JNF, with all its good humanitarian intentions, has placed itself as a willing ally of the Fatah war against Israel and when the missiles start coming from the JNF aided city we’ll see how JNF feels then.” Mark Regev, foreign press advisor to the Prime Minister’s Office, said that the prime minister will be speaking with leaders of the communities of Judea and Samaria to try to resolve any problems between the central government and local authorities. There is stiff opposition to the freeze in the national camp. Uri Bank, chairman of the Moledet party has called the freeze “illegal.” MK Danny Danon of the Likud party submitted this week a petition bearing the signatures of the requisite number of Likud central committee members to force a Likud central committee meeting to debate the prime minister’s move. According to the tourism minister, Stas Misezhnikov, work will continue on tourist sites within the area being frozen. ❖

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