On Wednesday 4 May, the Israeli Supreme Court approved the eviction order for eight Palestinian villages in the Masafer Yatta region south of Hebron in the occupied West Bank. Some 1,200 Palestinian women, men and children now face imminent eviction and the destruction of their homes. 16 Belgian NGOs condemn the decision of the Israeli Supreme Court and call on Belgium and the European Union to condemn this violation of international law by Israel and to take measures to put an end to the apartheid regime and Israeli colonisation. and to increase political and financial support for the Palestinian people.
Masafer Yatta is located in Zone C of the occupied West Bank, and is therefore under the complete control of the Israeli army. In 1981, Israel decided to set up a new «firing zone» (known as «zone 918») covering 300 km2 in the Masafer Yatta region. It should be noted that 18% of the West Bank is covered by such Israeli «firing zones». In 1999, the Israeli army expelled 700 Palestinians from the region on the pretext that they were « live illegally in a shooting zone ». An appeal was lodged by the residents with the help of the Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI), and the Supreme Court issued a provisional order allowing the Palestinian residents to return to their villages.
A decision contrary to international law
For more than 22 years, the residents have been conducting legal proceedings to prove that their presence on the land was prior to the establishment of the firing zone. The decision handed down by the Supreme Court on 4 May rejected their claim, ruling that they had settled on the land after the establishment of «Zone 918». In so doing, it validated the order to evict the inhabitants of eight villages in the Masafer Yatta region, in what would be one of the largest mass expulsions of Palestinians for decades.
As a reminder, the forcible transfer of population is considered a violation of international humanitarian law under Article 49 of the 4th Geneva Convention.e Geneva Convention and a war crime under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. In its judgement, The Court rejected the argument that the expulsion of civilians from this area would constitute a violation of international law, stating that where international law contradicts Israeli law, the latter prevails.
Apartheid and annexation
Moreover, none of the Israeli settlers in «zone 918» have been asked to leave since it was established in 1981. On Sunday 8 May, the editorial in the Israeli daily Haaretz said« With selective expulsion based on nationality, it will no longer be possible to refute the argument that an apartheid regime has replaced military occupation in the territories. Occupation is by definition temporary; apartheid is likely to last forever. The Supreme Court agreed ».
Recently labelled as such by numerous human rights organisations such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty, the Israeli apartheid regime systematically discriminates between Israelis and Palestinians in access to land, with a view to colonisation. In the West Bank, the forced transfer of 1,000 Palestinians from Masafer Yatta is enabling the annexation of a little more Palestinian territory.
Call for a reaction from Belgium
On Tuesday 10 May, the European Union reacted underlining: « Settlement expansion, demolitions and evictions are illegal under international law. The EU condemns any such plans and urges Israel to halt demolitions and evictions in accordance with its obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law. The establishment of a firing zone cannot be considered an «imperative military reason» for transferring the population under occupation. ».
As journalist Amira Hass points out in Haaretz, The Israeli judges are allowing themselves to sit on international law because they know full well that Israel will not be punished for evicting the Palestinians from Masafer Yatta. The absence of concrete measures maintains the impunity enjoyed by Israel for its many violations of international law.
Belgium and the European Union condemn this blatant violation of international law in the clearest possible terms. But words are no longer enough, and must be accompanied by deeds. Concrete measures must be taken to put an end to the apartheid regime and Israeli colonisation.
The minimum that the Belgian government and the European Union must do is to respect their obligations under international law and deepen their policy of differentiation by banning trade with Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. The Belgian government has also committed itself in the coalition agreement to working at EU level, or at least with like-minded states, on a list of effective and proportionate counter-measures in the event of Israeli annexation of Palestinian territory. Given the latest developments, it is high time to implement this commitment.
The Belgian Minister for Development Cooperation, Meryame Kitir, is currently visiting Palestine, and we call on her to step up Belgium's financial and political support for the Palestinian people living in Area C.
Signatory organisations
11.11.11
ABP
BACBI
The Centrale Générale-FGTB
CNCD-11.11.11
De-Coloniser
Een Andere Joodse Stem
Mutual aid and fraternity
FOS
Intal
MOC
Palestine Solidarity
SolSoc
UPJB
Viva Salud
Vrede vzw
