Settlement construction continues unabated despite freeze

Government-initiated construction increased by 300 percent in fourth quarter

(AMP  03/15/2010) – The war of words escalating between Tel Aviv and Washington D.C. over Israel’s recent slight to Vice President Joseph Biden may prove to be nothing more than a game of smoke and mirrors, aimed at turning the world’s attention away from Israel’s continued illegal occupation of Palestine and its flagrant human rights abuses in contravention of international law. While Mr. Biden was meeting with Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu, officials announced plans to build 1,600 new housing units in occupied Jerusalem, sparking a diplomatic controversy between the two countries.

Government-initiated construction increased by 300 percent in fourth quarter

(AMP  03/15/2010) – The war of words escalating between Tel Aviv and Washington D.C. over Israel’s recent slight to Vice President Joseph Biden may prove to be nothing more than a game of smoke and mirrors, aimed at turning the world’s attention away from Israel’s continued illegal occupation of Palestine and its flagrant human rights abuses in contravention of international law. While Mr. Biden was meeting with Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu, officials announced plans to build 1,600 new housing units in occupied Jerusalem, sparking a diplomatic controversy between the two countries.

Israel has been under a 10-month construction moratorium since Nov. 26, 2009, when Mr. Netanyahu pushed for a watered-down compromise of President Barack Obama’s initial demand that Israel cease all construction in the illegal colonial settlements and illegal colonial outposts. But the freeze itself is little more than a joke when viewed in terms of building statistics provided by the Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics and analyzed by Israeli human rights group Peace Now.

Consider these statistics:

• There was a 33 percent rise in construction starts in the illegal settlements and a 300 percent jump in government-initiated construction plans in the settlements in the fourth quarter 2009.
• About 390 building foundations were laid, though construction wasn’t started.
• Of those 390 foundations, at least 170 were fake. However, they would still constitute ongoing construction and therefore be exempt from the freeze.
• Construction in the illegal colonial outposts continued and increased.
• Currently, projects to build 9,431 new units in occupied East Jerusalem are near the final approval stage.
• Even something as transient as a trailer parked on confiscated Palestinian land could constititute ‘ongoing’ construction plans, thereby exempting that land from the freeze.
• Six of those plans call for building Jewish-only compounds in the middle of Arab neighborhoods.

“Before the freeze, the Netanyahu-Barak government approved the construction of hundreds of new housing units in the settlements, thus, when the freeze went into effect, hundreds of new housing units were already under construction, which allows them to be continued well into the freeze period,” according to a Peace Now settlement report.

Each and every Jews-only construction is illegal, according to the Fourth Geneva Convention, which states an occupier cannot change the nature of the land it occupies nor can it transfer its population to that land. It is also in violation of United Nations Resolutions 242 and 446, which states irrevocably the settlements are illegal.

The American Muslims for Palestine applaud Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Vice President Biden for their harsh rebuke of Israel. However, without tangible consequences for its actions, Israel will continue to thwart international law with impunity.

AMP calls on President Barack Obama, Secretary Clinton and members of Congress to withhold $3 billion in U.S. foreign aid to Israel until it halts all illegal settlement construction. There is precedence for tying U.S. aid to action. Previous presidents such as Jimmy Carter and George H.W. Bush have withheld arms deals, aid and loan guarantees with the result that Israel was forced toward compliance with international law.

Criticizing Israel for its illegal behavior without applying consequences is ineffective. It lowers U.S. standing in the Arab and Muslims world. AMP urges you to contact your members of Congress and demand they withhold aid to Israel; that they pressure Israeli to halt all illegal settlement construction; that they urge Israel to lift the illegal and inhumane siege on Gaza; and finally, that they demand Israeli end its illegal, unjust and inhumane occupation of Palestine.

Click here to find your elected officials http://www.govtrack.us/congress/findyourreps.xpd.

The American Muslims for Palestine is a national, grassroots organization whose mission is to educate the American public about issues relating to Palestine and its rich cultural heritage. For more information, contact Kristin Szremski, director of media and communications, at 708.717.4180, cell; or 708.598.4267, ext. 22, office; or email her at [email protected]">[email protected].