Israel Announces

Freeze; JNF
Helping Build
New PA City
BY SAMUEL SOKOL

On Wednesday evening last week,

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
of Israel announced the implementa-
tion of a settlement freeze. According
to Netanyahu, the freeze will include
a “suspension of new [building] per-
mits and new construction in Judea
and Samaria for a period of ten
months.”

Mesika called
the government
decision a
“racist decree.”

The prime minister stated, “The

government of Israel is taking a very
big step towards peace today.”
The Palestinian Authority respond-

Photo By Yoni Kempinski (INN)

Shomron Mayor Gershom Mesika tears

up the freeze order in front of an IDF
messenger and the media.

ed negatively to Netanyahu’s overture,

with the PLO’s chief negotiator, Dr.
Saeb Erakat, announcing that “Israel’s
refusal to implement a full settlement
freeze fell far short of its obligations
under existing agreements and inter-
national law, and far short of the min-
imal requirements for a genuine peace
process to resume.”
“Rather than a full settlement
freeze, Israel is proposing a series of
‘exceptions’ to a full freeze that allow
for continued settlement construc-

Continued on Page 36

5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES December 4, 2009 33

 Settlement Freeze
Continued from Page 33
tion, especially in and around occupied
East Jerusalem. There is nothing new in
this announcement and no change in
the status quo of settlements, occupa-
tion, and Israel’s daily violations of inter-
national law that remain the major
obstacle to peace,” Dr Erakat said.
Government messengers began deliv-
ering copies of the freeze order to munic-
ipalities throughout Judea and Samaria
this week. Several mayors, including
Gershon Mesika, head of the Samaria
Regional Council, tore up the orders as
they arrived.
Mesika called the government deci-
sion a “racist decree,” complaining that
Arabs are building illegally throughout
Samaria without government interven-
tion. Mesika further stated that it is “very
disturbing that on the 29th of November,
[the anniversary of] when the United
Nations recognized [the Jewish] right to
the land of Israel [in 1947], the govern-
ment of Israel issues such orders to hurt
the settlement movement.” Mesika has
accused Netanyahu of “choking the set-
tlement enterprise.”
Protesters from the settlement move-
ment have attempted to block building
inspectors from the Civil Administration
from entering several settlements. Ran
Nachman, mayor of the city of Ariel, has
called on his colleagues throughout
Judea and Samaria to cut their ties with
the defense ministry and has publically
stated that he will not be actively enforc-
36 December 4, 2009 5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES
ing the building freeze. The mayor stated Palestinians and Jewish settlement in Civil Administration inspectors
that the Civil Administration can do as it Judea and Samaria. When asked about toured 30 communities on Monday, issu-
likes, but will receive no active aid from Mayor Nachman’s comments by the Five ing 50 work stoppage orders and
his office. Towns Jewish Times, a spokesperson for impounding four pieces of mechanical
engineering equipment that were used
in ground preparation work, including
the drilling of foundations. The inspec-
The only construction permitted to be undertaken tors visited over 40 additional communi-
ties on Tuesday and issued 14 more stop-
during the freeze is the finishing of structures whose work orders.
The only construction permitted to be
foundations have already been laid. undertaken during the freeze is the fin-
ishing of structures whose foundations
have already been laid. The air force con-
ducted fly-over reconnaissance missions
The Civil Administration is the branch the Civil Administration replied that the above settlements to document their
of the Defense Department in charge of freeze “is a government decision and we current size photographically.
all the activities regarding the are committed to carrying it out.” The prime minister has promised “to
enable normal life for the 300,000 Israeli
citizens, our brothers and sisters, who
live in Judea and Samaria,” stating that
the freeze “will not include the schools,
the kindergartens, the synagogues, and
public buildings necessary for the con-
tinuation of normal life over the period
of the suspension.”
Oded Revivi, the mayor of Efrat in
Gush Etzion, responded skeptically to
Netanyahu’s claims. Mr. Revivi said that
since all permits for public building
must now go through the overworked
Civil Administration headquarters in Bet
El rather than the mayors, the pace of
approval for necessary infrastructure
projects will slow down considerably.
Furthermore, says Revivi, the money for
Photo By Eli Rosenfeild
public building comes from fees paid for
Protesters blocking path of entry for government building inspectors at the town of civilian building permits, which will no
Revava in Samaria. longer be granted during the freeze.
 According to Revivi, what
Netanyahu has said to the
press “does not actually com-
ply with what is written in
the restriction order.”

JNF Plants Near

Ramallah
Just days after the
announcement of the freeze,
Haaretz reported that the
Jewish National Fund is
planting 3,000 saplings north
of Ramallah where a new
Arab city, Ruwabi, is due to
be established.
The JNF responded to an
inquiry by the Five Towns
Jewish Times, stating that
“none of the trees bought by
our donors were used for this
purpose.” The JNF describes
itself as having been appoint-
ed “national foresters by the
Israeli government.”
David Bedein, director of
the Center for Near East
Policy Research, has
expressed concern over the
JNF’s involvement in the
establishment of Ruwabi.
Bedein, who has been pub-
lishing research on
Palestinian Authority and
Fatah military capabilities
ever since the August 2009
renewed Fatah declaration of
war against Israel, notes that
“the new Fatah city will be in
striking distance of
Jerusalem and this makes
anyone who is assisting that
enterprise into an ally of the
Fatah military effort.”
Bedein stated that “JNF,
with all its good humani-
tarian intentions, has
placed itself as a willing
ally of the Fatah war
against Israel and when the
missiles start coming from
the JNF aided city we’ll see
how JNF feels then.”
Mark Regev, foreign press
advisor to the Prime
Minister’s Office, said that
the prime minister will be
speaking with leaders of the
communities of Judea and
Samaria to try to resolve any
problems between the cen-
tral government and local
authorities.
There is stiff opposition to
the freeze in the national
camp. Uri Bank, chairman of
the Moledet party has called
the freeze “illegal.” MK
Danny Danon of the Likud
party submitted this week a
petition bearing the signa-
tures of the requisite number
of Likud central committee
members to force a Likud
central committee meeting
to debate the prime minis-
ter’s move.
According to the tourism
minister, Stas Misezhnikov,
work will continue on
tourist sites within the area
being frozen. ❖

5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES December 4, 2009 37