By Laura Zuber
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

JERICHO, West Bank – The Israeli army recently ordered the seizure of 272 acres of land from four Palestinian villages.  An army spokeswoman stated that the confiscated land will be used to build a highway between Jerusalem and Jericho, a city in the east of the West Bank.  She also claimed that the road will “improve the quality of life” for Palestinians.  The road will enable Palestinians to travel to northern and southern portions of the West Bank without having to go through any Israeli check points.

However, critics of the land confiscation say that it will enable Israel to expand settlements in the corridor between Jerusalem and Ma’aleh Adummim.  The building of this new Palestinian road will free up E-1 area between Jerusalem and Ma’aleh Adummim, where the current Palestinian road runs for the long planned development of 3,500 apartments and an industrial park.  In 2005, Israel froze development in E-1, under international and US pressure.  The building of permanent settlements on occupied land is seen as a violation of international law.

Palestinian negotiator, Saeb Erakat, condemned the act and stated that “settlement expansion, especially in the Jerusalem area, will undermine and destroy these efforts. We call upon the Israeli government to revoke this decision and give peace a chance.”  Aside from declaring the confiscation illegal under international law, Palestinians also claim that Israel’s actions will split the West Bank into two separate portions and will limit the viability of a future Palestinian state.  Also, it would effectively sever the West Bank from East Jerusalem, which Palestinians hope to be their future capital.

Jeff Halper, an Israeli geographer, specializes in Israeli development in the West Bank.  He says that there appears to be a rush to carry out as much development as possible before the US-sponsored talks between Abbas and Olmert in November.  He alleges that Israel wants to develop as much as possible prior to the talks, because that will be seen as the starting point.  Palestinians want the border between Israel and the future Palestinian state to be set at pre-1967 borders, whereas Israel is continuing construction on its separation barrier, which in many places dips into Palestinian territory.

This seizure will deprive residents of four Palestinian villages, Abu Dis, Arab al-Sawahra, Nebi Musa and Talhin Alhamar, access to their land.  Much of the Palestinian economy is based on agriculture, thus access to land is essential.

For more information, please see:

Al Jazeera – Israel to confiscate West Bank land – 10 October 2007

Arab News – Israeli land seizure to cut West Bank in two – 10 October 2007

Guardian – Abbas spells out land demand – 10 October 2007

Guardian – Israeli army orders confiscation of Palestinian land in West Bank – 10 October 2007

AFP – Israel seizes Arab land near Jerusalem – 9 October 2007

Associated Press – Israel’s Palestinian road hit by critics – 9 October 2007