Bilin: Illegal outpost may become school
Leftwing activists and Palestinians have plans to set up a makeshift school on lands Israel plans to expropriate from the village of Bilin to construct the security fence; school to teach Palestinians 'citizenship'
Last week the IDF evacuated an outpost set up by activists on land Israel plans to expropriate from villages to construct the fence and expand the Modiin Elit settlement.
The evacuation lasted two hours as tens of activists and Palestinians huddled near the caravan and confronted security forces.
The permanent structure offers a glimpse of future plans to set up a youth center and a makeshift school to hold lessons about citizenship in Arabic.
The Civil Administration has given activists a deadline to present construction permits by January 5, threatening to demolish the structure should the activists fail to prove its legality.
Security forces suspect activists will use the time limit to prepare for another confrontation with security forces, seek legal advice, and construct more buildings.
Activist Yonatan Pollak said the building was set up to prove Israel’s discriminating construction policy.
“The land of the villagers has been expropriated to expand the illegal settlement of Modiin Elit. Authorities are not lifting a finger to stop the expansion which is taking place at the expense of land belonging to Bilin,” Pollak said.
“The caravan is a statement that the state of Israel is an apartheid state. The settlers are allowed to build illegally and the Palestinians who are requesting to build legally are being forbidden from doing so, and are evacuated by force,” Pollak added.
On Sunday Palestinians and activists lit Hanukkah candles to celebrate the Jewish festival which they said commemorates the end of foreign occupation.
“The building on liberated Palestinian land is a statement against imperialism,” activists said.
