B'Tselem position paper: Israel in the West Bank: A 47-year-long temporary occupation
5 June 2014
At times, the occupation seems to be a thing of the past, but it is still going strong. A third, and even fourth, generation of Palestinians and Israelis has been born into this reality, and they know no other. Israel has created a reality in which the Palestinians live under a harsh military regime, which serves first and foremost Israeli and settler interests. This reality of dispossession, oppression and violation of human rights in the West Bank has lasted almost fifty years, and indicates far-reaching intentions for the future. While this state of affairs is progressively entrenched, the illusion that it can continue indefinitely grows stronger. The inevitable result is daily violation of the human rights of Palestinians living under occupation. Only ending the occupation will alter this reality.
These words sum up a new position paper issued by Israeli human rights group B'Tselem today (Thursday, 5.6.2014) on the 47th anniversary of the 1967 war.
Position paper summary:
Settlements: The heart of the matter
Over 300,000 Israelis live in more than 200 settlements and settlement outposts throughout the West Bank, all established in contravention of international law, some even in contravention of Israeli law.
Tens of thousands of hectares of land, including pastureland and farmland, have been seized from Palestinians for settlements. Additional lands were confiscated to build bypass roads for settlers, checkpoints channel Palestinian movement away from settlements, and much Palestinian farmland has become effectively off-limits to its owners. The route of the Separation Barrier was established within the West Bank so as to keep as many settlements as possible on its “Israeli side”.
Massive presence of Israeli security forces is needed in the West Bank to protect the settlers, resulting in daily friction between Israeli troops and Palestinian residents. This leads to human rights violations by security forces, including acts of violence and illegal gunfire.
The Oslo Accords: An illusion of autonomy
Under the ostensibly temporary Oslo Accords, the Palestinian Authority (PA) was established and control of the West Bank was divided between the PA and Israel. Israel retained full control of 60% of it, labeled Area C. The rest of the West Bank, which is not contiguous but made of ‘islands’ where most of the Palestinian population lives, were handed over to the PA for its full or partial control and labeled Areas A and B. This division of power creates the impression that Israel does not impact the lives of most Palestinians in the West Bank. This is merely an illusion:
Most Palestinian land reserves, including those for Areas A and B, remained in Area C. Palestinians depend on Israeli permission to expand communities, build factories, lay water-pipes, etc. Israel also controls all entry to, and exit from, the West Bank and entrance into towns in Areas A and B. Israeli security forces regularly enter PA territory.
The occupation = human rights violation
“Occupation” is a legal term denoting a territory seized by a country during an armed conflict that is not a part of that country’s sovereign territory. It is commonly agreed that Israel’s obligations in the West Bank are determined by the law of occupation, under which such control is meant to be temporary.
However, Israel acts as though the West Bank were part of its sovereign territory, seizing land, using natural resources, and establishing permanent settlements there. At the same time, Israel evades its legal obligations to protect the human rights of Palestinian residents. Under the separation regime Israel created in the West Bank, settlers enjoy full civil rights while Palestinians live under a tough military regime that primarily serves the interests of Israel and the settlers, unable to elect the government that rules their lives.
The Israeli occupation is here to stay
