March 1st, 2011

Press release – for immediate release:

The State will raze outposts built on private Palestinian land:

Yesh Din: "A much-overdue and basic decision"

Following the report that State authorities will demolish illegal outposts erected on
private Palestinian land, human rights group Yesh Din expresses hope that this will
put an end to the Defense Minister's stalling

Human Rights group Yesh Din welcomes the unequivocal stance of the Attorney-
General, Yehuda Weinstein, about the necessity to dismantle outposts and
settlements built on privately-owned Palestinian land. Yesh Din expresses hope that
this decision will put an end to Defense Minister Ehud Barak's delays in enforcing the
law and protecting the private property of the Palestinian civilian population in the
West Bank.

In recent years, Yesh Din has assisted Palestinians by filing a dozen petitions to the
High Court of Justice, demanding that the State uphold demolition orders issued for
buildings erected illegally in settlements and outposts on private Palestinian land.
The legal proceedings in these petitions are still ongoing – mostly due to the delays
and other maneuvers by the Defense Minister.

It has been reported today that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decided on
Monday, following consultations with the Defense Minister and the Attorney
General, that authorities will immediately dismantle all illegal settlement outposts
built on privately-owned Palestinian land.

"It is unfortunate that it took the State's authorities so much time to reach such a
basic decision", says attorney Shlomy Zachary of Yesh Din's legal team. "However,
based on past experience, we will wait before evaluating the realization and
implementation of this decision. Yesh Din has assisted Palestinians and will continue
to do so until it is clear to all that Palestinian lands are not ownerless, and that the
State's authorities must actively and effectively protect them."
“In recent years several promising statements were made by Israeli decision makers,
but not followed by deeds", says Michael Sfard, Yesh Din's legal adviser. "In fact, the
State has rejected time and again calls to implement its declared positions, and
instead has retroactively and de facto endorsed some illegal construction by
suggesting to 'Kosher' those parts of it that were erected on public Land, and by
suggesting that those on private lands are a matter for negotiations with the
Palestinians. We hope the current AG’s position will not be revealed as just another
hollow promise.”

For further information please contact Dana Zimmerman - +972-54-2457682