Not a thing has changed in the government’s handling of unauthorized settlers’ outposts in the three months since a comprehensive report on the issue was completed, the report’s author, attorney Talia Sasson, said Sunday.
Speaking at a seminar on the settlements organized by Ben-Gurion University, Sasson said that building in the West Bank outposts was continuing just as before.
‘Since the report was submitted, nothing has happened,’ she said.
‘It was well publicized, and that’s good, but everything is continuing. Perhaps the Housing Ministry has closed a few taps, but there has been no operative decision and construction continues in the outposts.’ She added.
‘The goal of the report was to end the illegal construction,’ Sasson said.ÂÂ
‘This is not a matter of political outlook; we are talking about the state violating its own laws, and when a state’s own authorities break the law, this is a severe blow to the rule of law. When such things happen, the democratic system is liable to be undermined.’ She concluded.
An investigation carried out by Israeli newspaper Haaretz confirmed Sasson’s statement that outpost construction continues as usual.
Israeli Defense establishment data shows that during the first five months of this year, there were 197 incidents of illegal Jewish construction in the West Bank, of which about two-thirds occurred after the Sasson Report was published.
Settlers seem to have found a way around the problem of not allowing them to bring mobile homes to the outposts: Instead of living in mobile homes, many outpost settlers are simply building permanent houses – and government agencies are turning a blind eye, and sometimes even providing indirect assistance.
Construction of new homes is taking place in Palgei Mayim, near Eli settlement, in Amuna, near Ofra settlement, and in Bruchin, west of Ariel settlement.
