For decades, Israel has used restrictive planning laws and demolitions to curtail Palestinian development in Area C. A handful of new Israeli Civil Administration (ICA) planning ordinances, military orders, and legislative bills passed since 2018 point to an intensification of restrictions: the implementation of demolitions and confiscations has been expedited; legal and planning actions to … read more
On May 4, 2022, the Israeli High Court authorized the expulsion and forcible transfer of over 1,000 Palestinian residents of the Masafer Yatta region of the southern West Bank, an area the Israeli military has declared as “Firing Zone 918.” The expulsion could happen at any moment. In the decades-long court case, the State of Israel has claimed that Firing Zone 918 is necessary for … read more
The State of Israel has begun a land settlement process in East Jerusalem, for the first time since 1967. Land settlement is a procedure of ascertaining the rights to a certain piece of land, measuring and determining its boundaries precisely and recording them in the register of rights (“tabu”). This is expected to impact all … read more
In the 21st century, tap water is something to be taken for granted. Certainly, in Israel, which is considered a global giant in the area of irrigation and desalination. But in Area C of the West Bank, under Israeli control, over 10,000 women, men, and children live in communities that are not even connected to … read more
A recent Bikmom report shows that roughly 60 shepherding communities in Area C don’t have a water connection; this is detrimental not only to their personal needs but also to the needs of their flock and, consequentially, their livelihood. This issue affects more than 10,000 residents of Area C. The full report can be read … read more
The 2021 Bimkom conference “Human Rights and Ethics of Planning Cultural Landscapes in Israel-Palestine” is now available for viewing on YouTube.
Update: On March 30, 2022, the Supreme Court met and ruled to freeze evictions in Al-Walaje for (for now) six months. Update: In May 2020, the Supreme court ordered the District Planning Committee to hold a hearing regarding the residents’ plan. A public hearing was held in June 2020 and then another internal hearing was … read more
The initiative of Housing and Construction Minister Ze’ev Elkin (New Hope) to lower the necessary majority of residents in favor of raze-and-rebuild projects to 51%, making it possible to advance such projects with just a simple majority of residents, is extremely harmful. The initiative is based on a flawed assumption that opposition to raze-and-rebuild is … read more
