Often featured in global headlines when it comes to Israeli-Palestinian affairs is the forced evacuation of Palestinians by Israel, usually without the underlying context that usually involves years of court battles before any evacuation is made. What is also never mentioned is that Israel is in fact enforcing the Oslo Accords; and not allowing illegal infrastructure to be built within “Area C” is a key part of that agreement, many times involving arduous due process in the courts before any action is taken.
Some areas in Judea and Samaria are meant to eventually be handed over to the Palestinians, according to Oslo, and some are meant to be incorporated into sovereign Israel territory. Until the fulfillment of obligations on the Palestinian and Israeli sides, there are rules in place that must be enforced. As an example, in areas A and B, Israel is not allowed to build, and thus far it has not unless asked for help by the Palestinian Authority on infrastructure projects. In Area C, the Oslo Accords have not been respected by the PA and as a result, Area C has been in a state of limbo ever since, but legally under Israeli authority according to the agreement signed by Yasser Arafat.
Israeli NGO: The Palestinians are stealing Area C - Massive illegal construction is creating facts on the ground in Judea and Samaria.https://t.co/MMStz9dnRm via @JNS_org
— Jay Sadian (@DrJayinLA) November 10, 2022
The stealthy Palestinian 'takeover' of Area C is often seen in new housing units, strip malls, and schools located at strategic points, along with agricultural takeover and road construction. The Regavim movement, an entity dedicated to protecting Israeli law and its lands in recent years, has been publishing detailed reports about the issue.
In the village of Barta'a for example, they decided to expand and in recent months a large amusement park was built there on lands deemed part of Area C.
80% of construction in Area C is illegal. Demolish it all
— Stone #Justice4MalkiRoth (@StoneWaimea) November 7, 2022
Barta'a is a Palestinian village in Wadi Ara, near Harish, half of which is within the territory of the sovereign State of Israel and the rest over the Green Line under Palestinian control. The village is a center of commerce for many Israelis looking for cheap shopping centers.
The eastern part of the village, which is actually in northern Samaria, in Area C on Israeli state land, is characterized by a lot of illegal construction, with over 140 new illegal buildings being built in the last year alone. This week, during a documentation and surveillance tour by Regavim, a new amusement park was discovered, which includes entertainment and amusement facilities such as carousels and other rides. The problem with Palestinian construction is most often, there are structural and safety issues, and standard building codes are not followed. Foundations are not dug deep enough according to most western standards, especially for buildings in an earthquake-prone area such as Israel.
Facts not generally known to the Israeli public - A report released by the Regavim Movement reveals that in 2022, illegal Palestinian Arab construction in Area C, the portion of Judea and Samaria under full Israeli jurisdiction, increased by 80%.https://t.co/FotkTybw6O
— Jay Sadian (@DrJayinLA) October 31, 2022
In addition to the construction problems, much of the building being done in Area C is done on land not just controlled by Israel, but under Oslo, it is land that will be a part of Israel under a final agreement (it is important to note that despite Arafat signing onto this, he reneged at Camp David, while his successor Abbas admitted he rejected a two-state offer from Ehud Olmert that would have given Palestine 105% of what was expected under Oslo).
The Palestinian part of the village of Barta'a is considered hostile, during an Israeli operation in March and April of this year, dozens of people suspected of supporting terrorism or taking part in activities against Israel were arrested in the village along with a large cache of weapons and explosives. The village is also a well-known hub for smuggling from the territories of the Palestinian Authority into Israel, goods from untaxed cigarettes to drugs are often carried across the makeshift 'dividing line.'
Menesh Shmueli, coordinator of Regavim in Judea and Samaria, said: It’s hard to believe this is happening. Although I know the figures for illegal Palestinian construction, which increase year by year and in the last year even more so, I was amazed to see the complete lawlessness of the State of Israel in Barta'a and in the entire region, which is in the heart of the State of Israel. This strategic region dominates half of the country.
Referring to the Amusement park, Shmueli added in a public statement that "when you see hundreds of buildings, hundreds of kilometers of roads and thousands of illegal trees it is only an amount of time before recreation and leisure complexes are built illegally."
