'The defense minister signs demolition orders, the Civil Administration is under fire'
Photo courtesy of the Binyamin Settlers Committee
Civil Administration is not settlers' enemy
Op-ed: Those who want Israeli law in the settlements cannot treat its representatives as a foreign rule.
The Civil Administration
is a body which people find easy to hate – both on the left and on the right. A punching bag with a uniform and a flag. Those following the publications of radical left-wing organizations would think they are talking about brutal soldiers. The Palestinians, sponsored by international organizations, erect temporary buildings, the Administration demolishes them – and the organizations point a finger. That is the routine in the Jordan Valley, in South Mount Hebron, in every place where there is a struggle over facts and interpretations.
Where there is no demolition, a fabricated Palestinian history grows. There will always be someone willing to swear that a building (erected two months ago) was constructed by his grandfather during the days of the Turks. The battle over the narrative takes no prisoners.
Different Groups
Eitan Haber
Analysis: Most Israelis have never visited Judea and Samaria, and think all Jewish settlers are a homogenous bunch. Well, says Eitan Haber, they're not
While the left attacks on the international arenas, the right attacks in Shabbat leaflets. Each side and its target audience. Every time an illegal house is destroyed in Judea and Samaria, a campaign is waged against the Administration inspectors.
This is a convenient arrangement for everyone. Especially for politicians. The Civil Administration was established to implement the government's policy in Judea and Samaria. There is no other body enforcing the construction laws, there is no other body executing what is decided on the top. The defense minister signs demolition orders? The Israeli government decides on a freeze? The Civil Administration is under fire.
The home of Sagi Keizler, head of the Samaria Residents' Council, was demolished about two weeks ago. Keizler wanted to build a permanent home near the community of Kida. The residents objected. Kida is one of the communities characterizing the mainstream in Judea and Samaria – a significant number of its residents are civil servants, members of the defense establishment, law-abiding citizens. The salt of the earth. They are in favor of regularization, without any breaches in the fence.
But Keizler did as he pleased. Several weeks ago, he assembled an impressive house outside the territory of the community. Without requests, without permits. The security forces arrived, followed by some Hilltop Youth members. Two of them hurled stones at a police car. The division decided to include the house on the list of buildings slated for demolition. A professional risk for anyone building illegally without coordination.
Several days went by and Keizler sent young people to protest at the religious kibbutz of Tirat Zvi, where two of the Civil Administration area coordinators live. Later, after his house was razed, he claimed it was an act of revenge against him for the protest.
Law applies to everyone
I know some of the involved Civil Administration inspectors from my military service. They were outstanding officers, the pride of Religious Zionism, and remain that way in my eyes. The attack against them is an own goal. The Civil Administration does not make policy decisions; the defense minister and prime minister do. But the Samaria Residents' Council, out of cowardice, doesn't want to attack them. So they are left with the Administration.Keizler (who undoubtedly lost a lot of money and was distressed) launched a wide-scale PR operation against the inspectors and the Civil Administration. He claimed the house had been populated for a long time, but the Administration presented pictures showing otherwise; he created a heart-rending film about the house's destruction and accused the inspectors of deceiving the defense minister, but they claimed he was fabricating pictures in order to turn his personal loss into an issue concerning all settlers.
The Administration was faced by PR agents, council heads, Knesset members and a variety of newspapers of the religious sectors. On the other side there was no one.
The defense minister, who subordinates they are, fell silent. The division commander was not heard. The residents of Kida are speaking off the record. Even some of the reporters on issues of the territories who I spoke to preferred not to deal with this hot potato.
That leaves me. I feel for Keizler. He is allowed to feel pain over the loss of his home, but he is not the most righteous person of the generation and the inspectors are not the settlers' enemies.
The law applies to everyone: To Jews, to Palestinians and to Bedouins who build illegally. It doesn't matter where. In a law-abiding state, we cannot accept attacks on those who are enforcing it.
It's unreasonable that a media campaign is being waged against members of the military and Administration inspectors, and there is no one in the political echelon to defend them. And most importantly, whoever wants Israeli law in the settlements cannot treat its representatives as a foreign rule.
