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End West Bank anarchy
Tough attitude needed towards illegal construction, disobedient soldiers
Alex Fishman
What’s the greatest kind of chutzpa? Establishing an illegal factory in an illegal community in order to manufacture mobile homes for more illegal communities. And all of this is done openly, in broad daylight, under the government’s nose and with the knowledge of law enforcement authorities.
Actually, this is not only chutzpa. It’s all-out anarchy.
Such illegal mobile home factory exists, for example, in the Gilad Farm in the south Mount Hebron area. There are two more factories like it in the West Bank, and this is no coincidence. It’s much more convenient and safer to do it in the West Bank.
Law enforcement authorities may hold up mobile homes manufactured within the Green Line or at least monitor their transfer into the West Bank. In order to move mobile homes from within the Green Line to the West Bank, one needs a permit. However, within the West Bank one needs no permits from anyone.
Moreover, these mobile homes have amazing qualities: They can disappear, and suddenly appear on some hill somewhere. In two communities, for example, 12 new mobile homes appeared out of nowhere to house new immigrants from France. And where will they get water and electricity? The local authority head, who receives his salary from the government, approves it, the regional engineer signs it, and everything becomes legal.
This is what the settlers refer to as “natural growth,” and they expect the Israeli government to face the Americans with clean hands using this argument. The prime minister and defense minister convinced Envoy Mitchell that there are births in the territories - indeed, there are; some of those newborns are immigrants from France.
Everyone thinks the Americans are idiots and that we can continue feeding them such tales forever. Later we get insulted when Obama looks at us funny and doesn’t believe Netanyahu.
Needless to say, the prime minister and ministers are well aware of these tricks, but they prefer to turn a blind eye to them. There is no order and there are no judges; nobody applies any law in the territories. So is it any wonder that this anarchy is also trickling down into the army? What is anyone going to do to these unruly soldiers?
Nobody should be surprised later if the displays of protest against the evacuation of homes and settlements will merely accelerate. After all, these troops are sent to a few days in a military jail, as if they committed a traffic violation, and later automatically turn into heroes.
Today the protest is conveyed through signs, but tomorrow it will be manifested through actions, refusal to follow orders, and rebellion. The army is paying the price for the fact that there is no law in the territories and that everyone does whatever they wish to do there. The army chief will have no choice but to protect this army, which has started to roll down the slippery slope of politicization, and put an end to it, even in a brutal manner. We already feel the scent of political mutiny in the air.
And what was the recent protest of soldiers about? It was about two illegal homes destroyed in the community of Negohot. An observer would have thought for a moment that the State of Israel decided to put an end to illegal construction in order to create a convenient atmosphere that would prompt the revival of negotiations. However, the razing of these homes was a joke.
In recent months, we have seen a construction momentum across the territories, with hundreds of new homes being built in dozens of communities. Ever since the Americans demanded a complete halt to settlement construction, and ever since Netanyahu delivered his speech at Bar-Ilan about the two-state solution, we are seeing a race on the ground: An effort to grab as much as is possible.
In addition to illegal construction, we are suddenly seeing the emergence of old construction permits that were not used for long years.
The PM and defense minister managed to reach a compromise with the Americans that enables Israel to complete the construction of about 3,000 units in various stages of construction; this is meant to achieve quiet vis-à-vis the settlers and appease them and their supporters within the government.
However, this figure of 3,000 means nothing. Nobody, even within the establishment, has any idea how many legal and illegal homes in various stages of completion are out there.
It’s not that the Palestinians are saints and are constantly seeking a way to revive the talks. However, with our own hands we are providing the means to be used for killing the talks.
A responsible government can put an end to this anarchy. Even if it doesn’t embark on talks with the Palestinians, it should instruct the Central Command chief to issue a military decree ordering a construction freeze across the territories – with or without a permit – until further notice. Every construction project will require a separate debate. Without any tricks. Once the army realizes that the political leadership is serious, it will help military officials straighten out their own ranks.
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