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"The division into three areas of control, meant as a temporary, transitional stage on the way to a final agreement, turned into a 'legal' repository for the settlement enterprise."
Land theft is official Israeli policy. Palestinians living in Area C believe land they're on belongs to them. They have documents proving it, but Israel steals what it wants anyway.
All sorts of schemes are used. In January, Netanyahu established a committee to examine West Bank land. "Headed by former Supreme Court Justice Edmond Levy, the panel has invited testimony from several human rights organizations, including Peace Now, B'Tselem and Yesh Din."
Yesh Din won't let its members cooperate. It considers what's going on illegitimate. It bypasses and challenges Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein's authority. He has final say.
Yesh Din believes the committee was set up without his knowledge. Weinstein told Netanyahu that committee recommendations won't be binding on him or his office.
Former Attorney General Michael Ben-Yair sits on Yesh Din's board. He said if still in Weinstein's post, he'd "have announced at the outset that he does not require the committee's advice even it turns out to be close to his own position. He said the committee's establishment infringes on the standing of the 350 employees of the Attorney General's Office."
No matter. Israel works its way around everything for what it wants. Palestinians are ruthlessly exploited and persecuted. They lose title to their own land. It took Israel 45 years to steal over 40% of the West Bank. It's heading toward well over 50% en route to over 60%, then more, plus all East Jerusalem.
A Final Comment
PA UN envoy Riyad Mansour submitted letters to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the Security Council. Their content urged condemnation of Israel's lawless settlement project, as well as "other illegal Israeli policies in the occupied Palestinian territory."
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