Report Dec09 ENG [Btselem -- The Hidden Agenda -- The Establishment and Expansion Plans of Ma'Ale...

8/9/2019 Report Dec09 ENG [Btselem -- The Hidden Agenda -- The Establishment and Expansion Plans of Ma'Ale Adummim

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PlannersforPlanningRights

.).(

TheIsraeliInformationCenterforHuman

RightsintheOccupiedTerritories

THE HIDDEN AGENDA

The Establishment and Expansion Plans of Ma'ale

Adummim and their Human Rights Ramifications

December 2009

ResearchedandwrittenbyNirShalev

EditedbyYaelStein

MappingbyNavaSheer

FieldworkbyKareemJubran,NajibAbuRokaya,IyadHadad

TranslatedbyZviShulman

LanguageEditingbyMichelleBubis,NirShalev

Cover photograph: the Tsemach Hasadeh neighborhood inMaale Adummim and a

nearby residential compound of the Jahalin Bedouins, whom Israel plans to expel,

December2009.Photograph:NirShalev

Design:GAMADesign

Special thanks to Architect Alon CohenLifshitz for his substantial assistance in

formulatingtheconceptsofthereportandinitspreparation.


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2

BIMKOMPlannersforPlanningRightsisanIsraeliNGOthatwasestablishedinMay1999by

planners and architectswith thevisionof strengthening the connectionbetween theplanning

system andhuman rights.Bimkomusesprofessional tools topromote equal rights and social

justiceinplanning,development,andallocationoflandresources.Bimkomassistscommunities

disadvantagedbyeconomic,social,orciviccircumstancestoexercisetheirplanningrights.

BTSELEMTheIsraeliCenterforHumanRightsintheOccupiedTerritorieswasestablishedin

1989 by a group of academics, attorneys, medical doctors, journalists, and Israeli parliament

members.With a commitment to human rights principles, and under thebelief that continuing

occupationcontradictstheseprinciples,BTselemsprimarygoalistoexposeanddocumenthuman

rightsviolationsintheOccupiedTerritories.BTselemoperateswithintheIsraelisocietyandvisa

vis decisionmakers in an attempt tobring about policy change and an end to human rights

violations.


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Theconsiderationsofthemilitarycommanderareinensuringhissecurityinterestsinthearea,

ontheonehand,andinensuringtheinterestsofthecivilianpopulationinthearea,ontheother

hand. Both are directed toward the area. Themilitary commandermay notweigh national,

economic, or social interests of his own country insofar as they have no ramification on his

security interest in the area, or on the interest of the localpopulation.Even theneeds of the

militaryareitsmilitaryneedsandnotnationalsecurityneedsintheirbroadsense.Anareaheld

underbelligerentoccupationisnotanopenfieldforeconomicorotherexploitation

(Fromthejudgment inHCJ393/82,Jamiyyat IskanalMualimounalMahdduda

alMasuliyyahv.Commanderof IDFForces inJudea andSamaria,December28,

1983)

Introduction

InFebruary2009,HaaretznewspaperreportedthattheUnitedStatesopposeddevelopmentwork

in E1, an area that lies within the municipalboundaries of Maale Adummim and borders

Jerusalems city limits. In response, Minister of Defense Ehud Barak stated that Maale

Adummimis

an

inseparable

part

of

Jerusalem

and

the

State

of

Israel,

[and

will

remain

so]

in

any

permanentarrangement.1

Even though thispositionmay reflecta consensusamong Israelspolitical leadership, the fact

remains that, like every other settlement, the city of Maale Adummim is illegal under

internationallaw,whichprohibitstheestablishmentofsettlementsinoccupiedterritory(seebox

onp.???).

In1999,BTselempublishedOntheWaytoAnnexation,areportontheviolationofhumanrights

causedby

the

establishment

and

subsequent

expansion

of

Maale

Adummim.2

The

report

focused

1AmosHarel,200MillionShekelsInvestedinNewNeighborhoodEastofJerusalem,Haaretz,February1,

2009.Thearticlequotedsimilarcommentsbytheheadsoftheothermajorpoliticalparties,TzipiLivniand

BenjaminNetanyahu.

2BTselem,OntheWaytoAnnexation:HumanRightsViolationsResultingfromtheEstablishmentandExpansionof

theMaaleAdummimSettlement(June1999).


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ontheexpulsionofBedouinsoftheJahalintribefromlanddesignatedfortheexpansionofthe

settlement,andonthenewoutlineplanforE1.ApetitiontoIsraelsHighCourtofJusticeagainst

thedecisiontoapprovetheoutlineplanwasdeniedsoonafterthereporthadbeenpublished.3

In thedecade thathaspassed since then, the areahasundergone substancial spatial changes.

FollowingtheoutbreakofthesecondintifadaandtheincreaseinattacksagainstIsraelicivilians,

morestringentrestrictionshavebeenimposedonPalestinians freedomofmovementwithinthe

WestBank.ThegovernmentalsodecidedtobuildacontiguousSeparationBarrier,ostensiblyin

order to protect thepopulation of Israel fromPalestinian terrorists, although thebarrier runs

mostly through theWest Bank and not on the Green Line, Israels pre1967borderline. The

plannedroute

of

the

barrier

in

the

Maale

Adummim

area

would

leave

the

city

and

the

small

adjacentsettlements(KfarAdummim,Almon,Qedar,NofeyPrat,andAlon)onthe Israeli side

ofthebarrier,creatingapartitionbetweenthesouthernandnorthernsectionsoftheWestBank.

Simultaneously,anddespitetheoppositionoftheUSAdministration,Israelbegantoimplement

partsof theE1outlineplan,building thenewSamariaandJudeaPoliceDistrictHeadquarters

there andpavinganextensive systemof roads to servehundredsofhousingunits tobebuilt

there.4

Thepresent reporthas twoprincipalobjectives.One, todescribe the spatialchanges thathave

takenplaceintheareasincethepublicationofOntheWaytoAnnexation,aswellastheireffecton

Palestinianshumanrights;and two, toexamine thesechanges in lightof thehistoryofMaale

Adummim and the intentionsbehind its establishment.This restrospective outlookwasmade

possiblethankstoIsraelStateArchives filesthatwereonlyrecentlyopenedtopublicviewand

arerevealedhereforthefirsttime.5Thesedocumentsshowthatalreadyin1974,thefirstRabin

3HCJ3125/98,AbedalAzizMuhammadAyadetal.v.CommanderofIDFForcesinJudeaandSamariaetal.,

rulinggivenonNovember7,1999.

4AmosHarel(seefn.1);IlilShahar,DespiteAmericanOpposition:IsraelisBuilidnginE1,NRGMaariv,

March14,2006.

5UndertheArchivesRegulations(PerusalofArchivalMaterialDepositedintheStateArchives),1966,

perusalofgovernmentdecisionsandotherdocumentsthatarerevealedinthisreportisforbiddenfor30

yearsfromthetimetheyweremade.


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governmentmadeadecisionwhosepracticaleffectwastheannexationoftheMaaleAdummim

areatoJerusalemalthoughnoofficialannexationwasdeclared.

Chapter 1 presents the history of Maale Adummim and discusses the unique procedures

employed togaincontrolover the landdesignated for it.Chapter2examines thecitysoutline

plans,especiallytheplansfortheE1area.Chapter3discussestherouteoftheSeparationBarrier

nearMaaleAdummim.Chapter4describestheinfringementonthehumanrightsofPalestinians

resultingfrom theestablishmentofMaaleAdummimharm thatwillundoubtedly increase if

thedevelopmentplansforE1arefullyimplemented,creatingacontiguousbuiltupareabetween

MaaleAdummimandthemunicipalboundaryofJerusalem.

Thesettlementsunderinternationallaw

Since1967, Israelhasoccupied theWestBank.The fundamentalprincipleof international law

established that occupation is temporary.This principle,which is accepted declaratively, at

least by Israel,6 prohibits the occupying power from establishing permanent facts in the

occupied territory. International lawviews theoccupyingpowers ruleas temporary,with the

occupier holding the territory as a trustee,until its final status isdecidedupon.7Establishing

permanentciviliancommunities(settlements)intheoccupiedterritoryforthepopulationofthe

occupying power contravenes the substantive prohibition on establishing permanent facts in

occupiedterritory.

TheFourthGenevaConventionforbidstheoccupyingpowertotransferitscivilianpopulationto

the occupied territory. This prohibition relates not only to expelling civilians or forcibly

transferring them to the occupied territory; it applies also where the occupying power

encourages its civilians to relocate to land that is under occupation or assists them in that

6ThestatemadesuchdeclarationsinitsresponsestovariousHighCourtofJusticepetitions.See,for

example,itsSupplementalStatementonBehalfofRespondents15inHCJ1526/07,AhmadIssaAbdallah

Yassinand16Othersv.HeadoftheCivilAdministrationinJudeaandSamariaetal.,July5,2007.

7HCJ393/82,JamiyyatIskanalMualimounalMahddudaalMasuliyyahv.CommanderofIDFForcesinJudea

andSamaria,rulinggivenonDecember28,1983.


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endeavor.8

Regarding this sweeping prohibition, the question of ownership of the land is irrelevant: the

prohibitiononestablishingsettlementsapplies tobothprivatePalestinian landandpublic land

(state land). Establishing settlements on private Palestinian land also violates provisions of

international lawthatrequire theoccupyingpower toprotectprivateproperty.9Theoccupying

poweralsohasthedutytoprotectpublicproperty,butIsraelbreachesthisdutybyestablishing

settlementsonstateland.10

To date, 121 official settlements and some 100 unrecognized settlements, referred to as

unauthorized outposts, have been established in the West Bank. In addition, 12 Israeli

neighborhoods have been built on West Bank territory that Israel unilaterally annexed to

Jerusalemsjurisdictionarea,asdefinedafter1967.Underinternationallaw,theseneighborhoods

have the same status as Israeli settlementsbuilt in other parts of theWest Bank. The very

existenceof thesettlements leads tonumerousviolationsofPalestinianshumanrights,among

themtherightstoequality,property,anadequatestandardofliving,freedomofmovement,and

selfdetermination.11

Under international law, all these communities are illegal.MaaleAdummim is no different.

Being the largestsettlement initsmuniciaplareaandthird largest inpopulation (afterModiin

IllitandBeitarIllit)doesnotreducetheintensityoftheharmtoPalestiniansnordoesitbluntthe

ongoingbreachofinternationallaw.

8Article49oftheFourthGenevaConventionRelativetotheProtectionofCivilianPersonsinTimeofWar;

InternationalCourtofJusticeadvisoryopiniononconstructionoftheSeparationBarrier(2005).

9Forexample,article46oftheRegulationsAttachedtotheHagueConventionontheLawsandCustomsof

WaronLandof1907.

10Article55oftheRegulationsAttachedtotheHagueConventionontheLawsandCustomsofWaron

Landof1907.

11BTselem,LandGrab:IsraelsSettlementPolicyintheWestBank(May2002),pp.4144.


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1.ExpropriationoftheLand

InMarch 1975, aministerial committee,which hadbeen authorized to do soby the Israeli

government,decidedtoexpropriatesome3,000hectaresofthevillagelandsofalEizariyah,at

Tur,Issawiya,AbuDis,KhanalAhmar,andNabiMusafortheneedsofMaaleAdummim.12

Several yearsbefore the expropriation, the Israelimilitary commanderdeclaredmost of these

landsaclosedmilitaryzonethatallpersonswereforbiddentoenter,remainin,oruse(including

forfarmingandgrazing),exceptforindividualswholivedthereatthetimeofthedeclaration.13

In1977,another194hectareswereexpropriated for futureexpansionof the settlement.14Some

200hectares

were

expropriated

for

roads

and

infrastructure

facilities

serving

Maale

Adummim

and other Israeli communities, primarily Jerusalem.15 The land expropriated by Israel is in

addition to145hectaresexpropriatedby theJordaniangovernment inMishorAdummim (now

the industrial zone of the settlement) tobuild amilitary firing range.16 The 3,500 hectares of

12DecisionNo.385oftheMinisterialCommitteeforAllocationofLand,ofMarch30,1975,AnatotMaale

AdummimFile,vol.3,StateArchives,ISA/77/A/7314/10.TheactualexpropriationtookplaceonApril1,

1975,whenthemilitarycommanderoftheareasignedDecisionConcerningtheAcquisitionandTakingof

Possession(MaaleAdummim).ThetermvillagelandsrelatestotheadministrativedivisionofPalestine

duringtheBritishMandate,inwhichthebordersofeverycommunity(village,town)wereclassifiedfor

administrativepurposes,primarilytoenablethecollectionofpropertytaxandtocreateafoundationfor

futurerecordingofthelandintheLandRegistry.Thetermdoesnotrelatetoownershipoftheland.Often,

thelandsofacertainvillageincludeprivatelyownedPalestinianlandalongsidelandbelongingtothelocal

authority,aswellasstateland.

13MinisterIsraelGalili,DevelopmentoftheMaaleAdummimAreaExplanatoryNotes,October31,

1974,AnatotMaaleAdummimFile,vol.3,ISA/77/A/7341/10.

14DecisionConcerningAcquisitionandTakingofPossession(Territories)9/77,December26,1977.

15ResponseofCaptainAryehShayaoftheCivilAdministrationtoarequestundertheFreedomof

InformationLawmadebyEyalHareuveniofBTselem,April20,2009.Intotal,Israelexpropriated199.3

hectaresforroads,waterfacilities,andtheAbuDiswastedisposaldumpingsite.

16MeirShamgar,IndustrialZoneinJerusalem,September12,1974,AnatotMaaleAdummimFile,vol.3,

ISA/77/A/7314/10.


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expropriatedlandconstitute73percentofMaaleAdummimsjurisdictionarea(4,800hectares);

almostalltheremainingislanddeclaredbyIsraelasgovernmentproperty.

MaaleAdummim,2009:basicfacts

Yearfounded:1975

Distance from the Green Line: six kilometers (from the closest residential dwellings), 15

kilometers(fromthefurthestjurisdictionboundaryline)

Municipalstatus:city,grantedin1991;thefirstsettlementtoattainthisstatus

Officialjurisdictionarea:about4,800hectares(3,533ofwhichwereexpropriated)

Builtuparea(residentialneighborhoodsonly):some400hectares

Existinghousingunits:about10,000

Population:34,100residents17

Socioeconomicrate:6(onascaleof110)18

Theexpropriationprocedure thatwascarriedout inMaaleAdummim isunique.19Until1979,

settlementswere establishedonPalestinian land thatwas requisitionedundermilitaryorders,

claiming that theseciviliancommunitieswere toservean importantsecurity function. In three

cases, the Israeli High Court of Justice approved requisition orders issued to enable the

17TheIsraelipopulationfiguresgivenhereandbelowweretakenfromtheCentralBureauofStatistics

(www.cbs.gov.il),andareupdatedtoJune30,2009.

18ThisfigureisfromtheIsraeliMinistryoftheInteriorandappliesto2008.Incomparison,the

socioeconomicratingofBneiBrakis2;BeitShemesh,Jerusalem,andNazarethis4;BeershevaandNetanya

is5;HolonandHaifais7;RamatGan,MevasseretZion,andTelAvivis8.Thefiguresareavailableat

www.pnim.gov.il.

19TheIsraelimilitarycommanderissuedanexpropriationorderintheOfrasettlment,too,butitwasbased

onexpropriationproceduresthathadbegununderJordanianruleandwerenotcompleted.SeeBTselem,

TheOfraSettlement:AnUnauthorizedOutpost(December2008),pp.2025.


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establishmentofsettlements.20In1979,however,theCourtheldthattherequisitionorderissued

forElonMorehwasillegalbecauseitwasintendedforaciviliansettlementthatdidnotservea

realsecurityfunction.21FollowingtheElonMorehruling,Israelstoppedusingrequisitionorders

toobtain land forsettlements; instead, itgraduallydeclaredmore than90,000hectaresofWest

Bank land thathadnot theretoforebeenclassifiedasgovernmentproperty,asstate land.22The

vastmajority of the land declared as government propertywas later on includedwithin the

jurisdictionboundariesofthelocalcouncilsandtheregionalcouncilsofthesettlements.

ThemajorexpropriationsinMaaleAdummimtookplacein1975and1977,afewyearspriorto

the Elon Moreh ruling and before the practice of declaring state land had begun. The

expropriationof

land

in

Maale

Adummim

must

be

examined,

therefore,

in

light

of

the

only

procedure thatwas used at the time to provide land for settlements: requisition formilitary

needs.

The essential difference between the two procedures relates to their validity over time.

Requisitionoflandistemporary:therequisitionorderitselfisvalidforalimitedtime,butmaybe

extended.Therequisitiondoesnotchangeownershipoftheland,whichremainsinthehandsof

thePalestinianowners,buttheytemporarilylosetherighttouseit.Thestatealsoofferspayment

fortheuseoftheland.Inotherwords,thelandownerisforcedtoleasethelandtothestate.

Expropriation, on the other hand, is permanent: ownership switches from the individual

Palestinian to the state forever. It is a forced acquisitionby the state, against thewill of the

owners. In this case, too, the stateoffers theownerpayment for the land,but theownermay

refusetoacceptthepayment.Indeed,forpoliticalandotherreasons,inmostcases,Palestinians

whose landhasbeenexpropriatedorrequisitionedby Israelrefusecompensation. Itshouldbe

20HCJ302/72,SheikhSuleimanHusseinOdehAbuHiluetal.v.GovernmentofIsrael,rulinggivenonMay23,

1973;HCJ606/78,SuleimanTawfiqAyuband11Othersv.MinisterofDefenseetal.,rulinggivenonMarch15,

1979;HCJ258/79,FalahHusseinIbrahimAmiraandNineOthersv.MinisterofDefense,rulinggivenonAugust

24,1979.

21HCJ390/79,IzzatMuhammadMustafaDweiqatand16Othersv.GovernmentofIsraeletal.,rulinggivenon

October22,1979.

22Forfurtherdiscussiononthissubject,seeBimkom,TheProhibitedZone:IsraeliPlanningPolicyinthe

PalestinianVillagesinAreaC(June2008),pp.2534.


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pointedout that, from theperspectiveof thePalestinian landowner, there isno realdifference

betweenmilitaryrequisitionordersandexpropriation,sincethetemporaryrequisitionorders

are routinely renewedby the army, leaving the Palestinians owners no access to their land.

However,inlegalterms,thereisafundamentaldifferencebetweenthetwoprocedures.

FromJerusalemsindustrialzonetoaciviliansettlement

WhydidIsraeltaketheunusualmeasureofexpropriatinglandtoestablishMaaleAdummim,at

a time inwhichmilitary requisition orderswere routinely issued for such purposes in other

settlements?Theanswer liesin thegovernmentsdevelopmentobjectivesinthearea,and inits

spatialconceptionofMaaleAdummimasanintegralpartofJerusalem.

In1967,shortlyafterthewar,thegovernmentofIsraeldecidedtounilaterallyexpandtheborders

ofJerusalemandannexWestBanklandstothecity.Thetaskofformulatingthealternativesfor

the expandedborderswasgiven toMajorGeneralRechavamZeevy, theheadof theGeneral

StaffsOperationsBranch.Zeevyprepared threealternatives,oneofwhichwas toannexsome

20,000hectarestoJerusalem,fromtheEtzionBlocinthesouthtotheoutskirtsofRamallahinthe

north,includingtheareaofMaaleAdummim.23

Thismaximalistalternativewas rejected. Instead, itwasdecided toannex toJerusalemonly

7,000hectares.TheMaaleAdummimareawasnotincludedintheannexedterritory.24

The decision not to officially annex the area of Maale Adummim was based on several

considerations.Inadditiontothefearofinternationalprotest,whichwasexpectedtoincreasethe

deepertheannexationextendedintotheWestBank,theprinciplethatdictatedthenewborders

ofJerusalemwasdemographic:toannexextensiveterritorytoJerusalemtoensureitsexpansion

anddevelopment,but to avoid including refugee camps anddenselypopulatedArabvillages

within thecitys limits.Theannexationwas intended toenable theconstructionofnewJewish

23DavidEisenstadt,TheEvolutionofJerusalemsMunicipalBoundariess,18631967,M.A.thesis,RamatGan:

BarIlanUniversity(1999),p.134.

24AnnaHazan,JerusalemMunicipalBoundaries19481993,Jerusalem:JerusalemInstituteforIsraelStudies

(1995),pp.1922.


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neighborhoodswhichwillfoilanyattempttoredividethecity.25MaaleAdummimlieseastof

thebuiltupanddenselypopulatedareaof thePalestinian townsofalEizariyahandAbuDis.

Annexationofthisareawouldhaveresultedintheincludingofthesetownswithinthebordersof

theexpandedJerusalem;alternatively,inordertoincludetheMaaleAdummimareawithinthe

newbordersofJerusalem,anoncontiguousarea,withanentrycorridor(accessroad)leadingto

thecity,wouldhavetobeannexed.Boththeseoptionscontradictedtheveryprinciplesaccording

towhichthenewcitylimitsofJerusalemwereformulated,i.e.,avoidingtheinclusionofalarge

Palestinianpopulationinsidethecityandguaranteeingacontiguousjurisdictionarea.

Although the Maale Adummim area was not officially annexed to Jerusalem, Israeli

governmentscontinued

to

relate

to

it

as

if

it

were

functionally

part

of

the

city.

In

1974,

the

government appointed an interministerial team, headed by thenAttorney General Meir

Shamgar, to locate land for a new industrial zone forJerusalem. The team examined several

alternatives, somewithin theexpandedbordersof thecityand someoutside them,within the

West Bank, and recommended that the industrial zonebebuilt inMishorAdummim,which

currently lies within the city limits of Maale Adummim.26 In accordance with the teams

recommendations,thegovernmentdecided,onNovember24,1974,asfollows:

A. To approve the recommendations of the interministerial team headed by theattorneygeneral:

1. JerusalemsindustrialzonewillbeestablishedinMaaleAdummim[.]B. DevelopmentofMaaleAdummimasanindustrialzoneforJerusalem:

1. TodeveloptheareaofMaaleAdummimasan industrialzoneofJerusalem,inaccordancewithpurposesandmapspreparedbytheinterministerialteam[]

2. Planning of the area will take into account Jerusalems municipalindustrialdevelopmentneeds,andwillbecarriedout incoordinationwith theJerusalem

Municipality.

25Ibid.,p.1.SeealsoEisenstadt(fn.23),pp.133,144,149.

26MinisterIsraelGalili,DevelopmentoftheMaaleAdummimAreaExplanatoryNotes,October31,

1974,AnatotMaaleAdummimFile,vol.3,ISA/77/A/7314/10.


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The 1974 government decision related to establishment of an industrial zone for

Jerusalem inMishorAdummim,butstated thatresidentialhousescouldalsobebuilt

thereforpersonswhoseemploymentisintheMaaleAdummimareaandtheirfamilies.32

Inpractice, theworkerscampwasaguise for theestablishmentofasettlement,as

was the case at the same time inOfra.33 Indeed, during a cabinet discussion of the

matter,MinisterGallilipointedout thatsomepeopleneedMaaleAdummim likea

painintheneckforothers,thesettlementinMaaleAdummimisveryclosetotheir

hearts. I said that thegovernmentdecided that a settlement inMaaleAdummim is

veryclosetotheirheart?Ichoosemywordscarefully,andamamazedthatyoudont

understand that thiswholematter [theworkerscamp]wasgenius, toquellaprocess

thatmightbeverycontroversialinsideIsrael.34

Theinterministerialteamlocated450hectaresinMishorAdummimfortheindustrial

zone.35 But the ministerial committee, which the government had appointed to

implement itsdecisionconcerningMaaleAdummim,decided toexpropriateamuch

largerareaof3,000hectares.Theexpropriationorderof1975also includedawestern

section of land thatwould laterbe labeled SiteA. This site,which lies closer to

Jerusalem,was tobecome the areawhere the settlement s residentialneighborhoods

32MatiGolan,GovernmentDecision:Families,Too,canLiveinMaaleAdummim,Haaretz,March3,

1975.SeealsoYehudaLitani,GushEmunimTryingtoEstablishPoliticalFactsintheTerritories,Haaretz,

December5,1975.

33BTselem,TheOfraSettlement(seefn.19).

34StenographicminutesofadiscussiononMaaleAdummim,heldinTelAvivonJanuary8,1975.Maale

AdummimFile(19741975):Letters,Minutes,DecisionsoftheMinisterialCommitteeforJerusalem

concerningEstablishmentofaWorkersCampinMaaleAdummim,ISA/77/A/7032/14.SeealsoMatiGolan

(fn.32),whoquotedthenMinisterShimonPeresassayingthatthegovernmentsdecisiondoesnotstate

thisexplicitly,butthespiritofthedecisionistoestablishasettlementinMaaleAdummim,andnotonly

anindustrialzone.


ISA/77/A/7314/10.


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14

werebuilt.Inaddition, theexpropriationorder includedbroadexpansesof landeast

and south of the industrial zonewhose hilly topography anddesert climate render

them unsuitable for residential construction inmost parts (even though these lands

include some moderately hilly parts, which were designated for residential

neighborhoods). Itappears that themain consideration inexpropriating thesedesert

lands and including themwithin thejurisdiction areaofMaaleAdummimwas the

desiretoensureIsraelicontrolofastrategiclocation,whichoverlookspassagebetween

thenorthernandsouthernpartsoftheWestBank,aswellasfromJordanandJerichoto

Jerusalem.36

Underthe

guise

of

establishing

anew

industrial

zone

for

Jerusalem,

it

was

decided,

therefore, to expropriate seven timesmore land thanwas needed for the industrial

zone itself. The expropriationmap thatwas presented to theministerial committee

markedoptionalsites for residentialneighborhoods, includingSiteA (see image1).37

The practicalmeaning of the decision tobuild the residential neighborhoods of the

settlement inSiteAwas thatMaaleAdummimwouldbeasuburbofJerusalem.38In

1977,whentheLikudpartyrosetopower,thegovernmentdecidedtorecognizeMaale

AdummimandOfrathetwoformerworkerscampsasciviliancommunities.39

Theexpropriationfromalegalperspective

In thejudgments approving requisition orders for settlements given prior to theElonMoreh

ruling, the High Court of Justice emphasized the substantive difference it saw between

36ShemaryahuCohen,whoservedasdirectoroftheJerusalemDistrictattheMinistryofHousingduringthe

timewhenMaaleAdummimwasfounded,statedthat,theobjectiveinestablishingthesettlementwas

political[].ItwasnecessarytoblocktheentrancewaytoJerusalemagainstaJordanianthreat.SeeUri

Orbach(fn.29).

37ThemapislocatedintheIsraelStateArchives,AnatotMaaleAdummimFile,vol.3,ISA/77/A/7314/10.

38TheUrbanInstitute,Z.ZaslavskyandAssociatesEngineersLtd.,ExaminationofLocationandDevelopment

PotentialofaCommunityintheMaaleAdummimArea(August1977),pp.153,161.

39GovernmentDecisionNo.835(Settlement/20),July26,1977.


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15

requisitionorderson theonehandandexpropriationon theotherhand.Asearlyas1973, the

Court ruled thatexpropriationofprivateproperty inoccupied territory forneedsofasecurity

settlement (let alone for a civilian one) is prohibited under international law (the Hague

Convention),whiletemporaryholdingthrougharequisitionorderispermissible.40

A fundamentalprincipleofinternationallawisthattheoccupyingpowermustrespectexisting

locallegislationasmuchaspossible.41TheJordanianlandlawsapplyingintheWestBankenable

expropriationofprivatelanduponpaymentofcompensation,providedthatitiscarriedoutfora

publicpurpose,suchasroadsandpublicbuildings.Thisstatuteremainsineffecttothepresent

day.42

Establishment of Israeli settlements is not a public purpose that canjustify expropriation of

Palestinian land.Thispositionhasbeen reinforcedby the attorneygeneral and laterSupreme

Court justice Prof. Yitzhak Zamir.43 Plia Albeck, head of the civilian division in the State

AttorneysOffice,who had a key role in advancing the settlement enterprise, held a similar

position.44Following theElonMorehruling, leadersof thesettlementmovementheldahunger

strike, demanding that the government expropriate Palestinian lands in the West Bank to

40HCJ302/72,SheikhSuleimanHusseinOdehAbuHiluetal.v.GovernmentofIsrael,rulinggivenonMay23,

1973byJusticeLandau.ThecourtheldasimilarpositionintherulingofMarch15,1979inHCJ606/78,

SuleimanTawfiqAyuband11Othersv.MinisterofDefenseetal.,wheretheestablishmentoftheBeitEl

settlementonlandtakenpursuanttoanarmyrequisitionorderwasapproved.

41Article43oftheRegulationsattachedtotheHagueConventionontheLawsandCustomsofWaronLand

of1907.

42TheLand(AcquisitionforPublicPurposes)(No.2)Lawof1953.ThisJordanianlawwaschangedbya

militaryorder,whichtransferredthepowergrantedinitfromtheJordaniangovernmenttoholdersof

variousfunctionsintheIsraelimilitarygovernment.SeeOrderConcerningtheLand(AcquisitionforPublic

Purposes)Law(JudeaandSamaria)(No.321),1969.Theorderdidnotchangethesubstansiveordersofthe

Jordanianlaw.

43GideonAlon,Prof.ZamirinOpinionHewillSubmittotheCabinetToday:ItisNotPermissibletoAct

underJordanianLawtoExpropriateLandinJudeaandSamaria,Haaretz,May11,1980.

44PliaAlbeck,WhatisStateLand?OnStateLandinJudea,Samaria,andtheGazaStrip,Halishkah

[JournaloftheIsraelBarAssociationJerusalemDistrictCommittee],vol.46,January1999,pp.911.


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16

establish settlements.45The attorneygeneral rejected thedemand, stating thatexpropriationof

privatelyownedPalestinianlandviolatedinternationallaw.46

TheofficialpolicyofIsraeligovernmentsovertheyearswassummarizedbyEyalZamir,former

deputylegaladvisorforJudeaandSamaria:

Expropriationof land forpublicpurposes [in theWestBank] isnotprohibited.Three

preconditionsmustbemet:first,theacquisition ismade inaccordancewiththe local

law;second,thelandlordisfullycompensated;andthird,theacquisitionisforapublic

purpose. Exercise of the authority by the Israeli administration meets these

requirements. Expropriation is done by Israel in an extremely limited extent, for

genuinepublicpurposes, andwith full compensationbeing offered to the landlords

(thoughforpoliticalreasons,thelandownersdonotalwaysusetheoptiontodemand

andreceivecompensation). Itshouldbeemphasized that Israel isnotexpropriating land to

establishsettlementsinthearea.47

Despite this longheld position, Maale Adummim was established, as stated, by means of

expropriation orders covering thousands of hectares. The ministerial committee based its

expropriationdecisionontherecommendationsoftheinterministerialteam,headedbythethen

attorneygeneral,andlaterSupremeCourtpresident,MeirShamgar,whoheld:

With respect to expropriation in Judea and Samaria, it should be mentioned that

internationallawgenerallydeniesthemilitarygovernmenttheauthoritytoexpropriate

landinoccupiedterritories;however,thereisevidencesupportingthepositionthatitis

permissible to expropriate land for the needs of the local population upon payment of

compensation.On thisbasis,we previously expropriated land in theWestBank for

45ElyakimHaetzni,LandTrap:theLegalSituation,Nekuda,No.6,March17,1980,pp.46;ZviRaanan,

GushEmunim,TelAviv:SifriyatPoalim(1980),Appendix6.

46GideonAlon(seefn.43).

47EyalZamir,StateLandinJudeaandSamaria:LegalSurvey,Jerusalem:JerusalemInstituteforIsraelStudies

(1985),p.36(emphasisadded).However,accordingtoZamir,followingtheestablishmentofasettlementon

statelandoronlandpurchasedbyIsraelis,itispermissibletoexpropriateprivatelyownedPalestinianland

forroadsandotherpublicneedsofthesettlement,since,accordingtothisview,afterthesettlershave

becomepartoftheareaspopulation,itispermissibletoexpropriateprivatelyownedlandtoaccommodate

theirpublicneeds.Ibid.,footnote230onp.62.


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roads andpublicbuildings, and on the samegrounds, itmay alsobepermissible to

expropriate land for an industrial zone thatwill also serveJudea and Samaria, and

whoseconstruction

is

approved

under

the

local

planning

and

building

laws.48

The expropriation of 450 hectares that were intended for the industrial zone was therefore

justifiedongroundsthatthefactoriesbuilttherewouldalsoservePalestinians,whowouldfind

work there.However, in1975,amuch largerareaof landwasexpropriated (3,000hectares), to

whichtherecommendationsoftheinterministerialteamdidnotrelate.Onewayortheother,the

professedaimoftheexpropriationwastoestablishanindustrialzoneforJerusalem,andanother

purposewastobuildanIsraelisettlementpurposesforwhichexpropriationisforbiddenunder

internationallaw,thelocallaw,andevendecisionsoftheHighCourtofJusticeatthetime.

Wedidnttakeitfromanyone

Accordingtotheplannersofthesettlement,thelandonwhichitwasbuiltwasuncultivatedstate

land, and therefore no Palestinian was harmed by the consteruction of Maale Adummim.

Architect Tommy Leitersdorf,who prepared the first outline plan forMaaleAdummim and

severalofitsdetailedplans,contendedthat,thestateinheriteditfromJordanThesewerestate

lands,statelandproper.HencetherewasalsoaconsensusregardingMaaleAdummim,sincewe

didnt take it from anyone.49TheCivilAdministration recentlymade similar commentswith

respecttotheexpropriationproceduresinMaaleAdummim:inthoseyears(7577),therewas

no procedure for declaring state land, so, due to doubt, an expropriation orderwas issued,

thoughthelandsconcernedwasunregisteredandnotcultivated.50


ISA/77/A/7314/10.

49EranTamirTawil,StartingaCityfromScratch:AConversationwithArchitectTommyLeitersdorf,

www.readingmachine.co.il/home/books/book_1_85984_549_5/1193036487.SeealsoEstherZandberg,

ThingsIDidntSeeinMaaleAdummim,Haaretz,April8,2006.

50Seefn.15;thelinguisticerrorappearsintheoriginaltext.


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18

ThegovernmentsdecisiontobuildJerusalemsindustrialzoneinMishorAdummimwasbased,

as stated,on the recommendationsof the interministerial team,which relatedonly to the450

hectaresintendedfortheindustrialzoneitself.Theareadesignatedbytheteamfortheindustrial

zonelieseastofthesiteonwhichtheresidentialneighborhoodsofMaaleAdummimwerebuilt,

onlandthatwasmoredesertlikeandhadadrierclimate.Inthisdesertland,thepossibilitiesof

agriculturalcultivationwere scarce.Becauseof the climaticconditionsandgiven that the land

wasnotbeingcultivated,theinterministerialteamconcludedthatostensibly,therewasnobasis

forPalestinians toclaimownershiprights inthearea tobeexpropriatedfor the industrialzone

itself. Despite this, the team assumed that the state would have to pay compensation for

expropriationoftheland.51

TheassumptionthatindividualscannothaveownershiprightsinuncultivatedlandintheWest

Bank is inaccurate.The local land lawsrecognize thatuncultivated land,suchasgrazing land,

couldbe ownedby individuals.52 Invillageswhere landwas registered in theLandRegistry

during Jordanian rule, there were many cases in which rocky, uncultivated parcels were

registeredtoindividualPalestinians,andnotasstateownedland.53Itisundoubtablytruethatin

some parts ofMaaleAdummimsjurisdiction area, there is a desert climate, and no groves

existedorcropsweregrownatthetimeoftheexpropriation.However,thisfactdoesnotruleout

apriorithepossibilityofprivatePalesitnianownershipontheselandsoratleastonpartofthem.

It is therefore hardly surprising that the text of the recommendations made by the inter

ministerial team actually indicates that Palestinians had ownership rights in the land

expropriated for the industrial zone.Asnoted above,duringJordanian rule, 145hectareshad


ISA/77/A/7314/10.

52TheOttomanLandCodeof1858,sections3,10,24,andothers;TransferofImmovablePropertyLawof

1913.

53AryehShalev,TheAutonomyProblemsandPossibleSolutions,TelAviv:CenterforStrategicStudies,Tel

AvivUniversity(1980),p.105.


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19

beenexpropriated inMishorAdummim tobuilda firingrange.54Thelandexpropriatedby the

JordanianswasadjacenttotheareathattheinterministerialteamdesignatedforJerusalemsnew

industrial zone.Following the expropriation,dozensofPalestinians filed compensation claims

with theJordanian government, arguing that they owned the expropriated land.AJordanian

governmental committee appointed to investigate the claims concluded that the expropriated

landcannotbecultivated,butneverthelessrecognizedownershiprightsof57oftheclaimantsto

some 112.5 of the 145 hectares thatJordan had expropriated. In otherwords, theJordanian

governmentconcludedthat78percentofthelandithadexpropriatedwasprivatelyowned,with

itsownersbeingentitled tocompensation for theexpropriation,andonly22percentwas state

land.55

TheclaimthattheentireareaofMaaleAdummimwasarid,abandoned,anduncultivatedisalso

inaccurate.In fact, thisargument iscynical,given thatseveralyearsprior to theexpropriations

madebyIsrael,mostoftheexpropriatedlandhadbeendeclaredaclosedmilitaryzone,andpart

of itwas usedby the IDF for firing and training. In those years that the areawas closedby

militaryorder,Palestinianswerenotabletocultivatemostofthelandthere.

As for climate, the area of Maale Adummim is marked by a gradual transition from a

Mediterraneanclimate,whichenablesregularcultivation,inthewest,toadesertclimate,suitable

only for grazing, in the east. Site A, where the neighborhoods of the settlement were

subsequentlybuilt,isthewesternmostsiteofthealternativeresidentialsitesthatwereexplored

bythecityplanners.

AlthoughextensiveareasofMaaleAdummimweredeclaredaclosedmilitaryzone,cultivation

oflandinSiteAcontinueduntilconstructionofthesettlementbegan.Anexpertsreportforthe

MinistryofConstructionandHousing,commissionedandpreparedin1977,statedthatSiteAis

still in theMediterranean floraareaThewadis [valleys] inSiteAarebeingcultivated.Other

than cultivation,SiteAhas an occupied [Palestinian]building inKhirbet alMurassas [in thevillage

54Tothebestofourknowledge,thelandwasexpropriatedbytheJordaniansin1967,afewmonthsbefore

thewar.ThisinformationwasprovidedbyDarwishMusaDarwish,fromthevillageofIssawiya,on

September1,2009.


ISA/77/A/7314/10.


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20

landsofalEizariyah]WithrespecttotheavailabilityofthelandinSiteA,itisnecessaryto

evacuateanagriculturalareaandasmallnumberoffamilies.56Thereportfurtherpointsoutthat

the land division of the Bedouin territory conforms to the various landscape units. The

cultivated landborderingthedesert, in the transition from theMediterraneanarea, isprivately

ownedEastofthisarea,onlandthatcanstillbecultivatedinrainyyears,cultivationisdonein

accordwiththeMashaownershipmethod[collectiveownership],wherebyeveryseveralyears,

thelandisredividedamongthemembersofthetribe.Themorearidlandisusedforcommunal

grazing,movingeastwardduringthewinter(totheborderofthecliffsoftheDeadSeaValley).57

SalamehKhamis alMazarahJahalin,who now lives in alEizariyah, toldBTselem abouthis

familyseviction

from

the

occupied

building

in

Khirbet

al

Murassas

in

1980,

when

the

constructionofMaaleAdummimbegan:

In the 1950s,my family settled in Khirbet alMurassas alongwithmany other

Bedouins who had been expelled from the Negev after 1948. There was an

archeologicalsitetherethattheGreekOrthodoxmonasteryclaimedtheyowned.In

1966,webuilt,alongside thearcheologicalsite,aoneroomstonebuilding,which

servedasamosque.Themonks,whofearedlosingownershipofthesite,erecteda

buildingnearbytoserveasaguardpost.

Afterthe1967war,myfatherandhisfamilywenttoliveinthemosquebuilding,

andwiththeconsentofthepeoplefromthemonastery,mywifeandIwenttolive

intheguardshouse.

In1977,theIsraelisbegantobuildthesettlementofMaaleAdummim.Thetentsof

the Bedouin familieswho lived nearby uswere demolished and removed. The

56UrbanInstitute(seefn.38),pp.14,127,163(emphasisadded).ArchitectAdamMazorheadedtheteam

thatwrotethereport,basedonplanningsurveys.TheotherteammemberswereeconomistsYigalCohen,

DafnaPelliandYedidyaRaz;engineerYoramGadish;plannersMeiraGluskinos,MosheHill,Rachel

AltermanandYitzhakFreund;geologistUziZaltzman;climateadvisorAryehBitan;nature,landscapeand

historyadvisorTzilaDrori;andgeographerConnyWillshak.See,also,T.M.Leitersdorf,Y.Goldenberg,

ArchitectsandCityPlanners72Ltd.,MinistryofConstructionandHousingJerusalemDistrict,NewCityin

MaaleAdummim:InterimReportNo.1,TelAviv(January1978),pp.8,17.

57UrbanInstitute(seefn.38),AppendixC4,CommunityandAgriculturalCharacteristics.


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21

Israelis also tried to convincemy father andme tovacate ourhouses, and they

threatenedusaswell.

Inanattempttopreventthis,IhiredthelawyerEliasKhoury,whopetitionedthe

Israelicourt.In1980,Khourytoldmethathewasunabletopreventtheexpulsion,

but achieved a compromise: in exchange for the eviction, Israelwould givemy

fatherandme2,500squaremetersoflandnexttothebuiltupareaofalEizariyah.

Wewereforcedtoacceptthecompromise.AdayafterweleftKhirbetalMurassas,

thebulldozersdemolishedourhouses.58

For years, the land expropriated for Maale Adummim was used by a diverse Palestinian

population,includingresidentsofthelocalvillagesandhundredsofBedouinswhohadrelocated

there from theNegev in the 1950s.59Under the local land laws, these residents had property

rights to at least some of the expropriated land. Maale Adummim was built in complete

disregardfortheserightsandincontraventionofinternationalandlocallaw.

ThejurisdictionareaofMaaleAdummim

ThebordersofMaaleAdummimwere firstdefined inanorder that themilitary commander

issuedin

1979

encompassing

some

3,500

hectares.

60In

1981,

the

municipal

boundaries

were

expandedtocoverapproximately3,700hectares.61In1991,theywereagainexpanded,thistime

mainly to thewest, towardJerusalem.62 In 1994, in themidst of theOslo peace process, 120

58SalamehKhamisalMazarahJahalingavehistestimonytoBTselemsresearcherKareemJubranon

September7,2009.

59BTselem,OntheWaytoAnnexation(seefn.2),pp.2335.

60OrderConcerningAdministrationofMaaleAdummim(JudeaandSamaria)(No.788),1979.

61MapoftheMaaleAdummimLocalCouncil,March1,1981.

62RegulationsConcerningLocalCouncils(ChangeofMaps)(MaaleAdummim),1991.


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22

hectareswereaddedtothecitylimits,63inordertoconnectwithJerusalemsmunicipalbordersin

E1.64MaaleAdummimsjurisdictionareanowcoverssome4,800hectares.65

MaaleAdummim is the largestsettlement in termsof landarea,and itsmunicipalboundaries

arelargeevenincomparisontocitieswithinIsrael.Thus,thecitylimitsofTelAvivJaffa,which

has393,200residents,11timesthepopulationofMaaleAdummim,extendover5,180hectares.

ThejurisdictionareaofBeitShemesh,whichhas77,300residents,isapproximately3,432hectares.

The city limits of Nazareth, with a population of 66,600, cover only 1,410 hectares.66

Consequently,thepopulationdensityinMaaleAdummimis710residentspersquarekilometer

ofjurisdictionarea,comparedto2,252inBeitShemesh,4,720inNazareth,and7,590inTelAviv.

Despitethis,inMarch2009,aChangeofBordersCommission,appointedbytheMinistryofthe

Interior,recommendedthatthejurisdictionareaofMaaleAdummimsbefurtherincreasedby

some1,150hectares.67TheCommissionproposedtodothisbyintegratingtheQedarsettlement,

allthestatelandsthatliebetweenitandMaaleAdummim,andadditionalareas,withinthe

extendedcitylimits(seeimage2).Some800residentsliveinQedar,whichissituatedsome800

meterssouthofMaaleAdummimsbuiltuparea.Inmunicipalterms,Qedariscurrentlypartof

theGushEtzionRegionalCouncil.Initsdecision,theCommissionrejectedobjectionssubmitted

63RegulationsConcerningLocalCouncils(ChangeofMaps)(MaaleAdummim),1994.Thedataarefrom

HCJ3125/98,AbedalAzizMuhammadAyadetal.v.CommanderofIDFForcesinJudeaandSamariaetal.,

ResponseoftheState,October3,1999.

64HCJ3125/98,AbedalAzizMuhammadAyadetal.v.CommanderofIDFForcesinJudeaandSamariaetal.,

ResponseoftheState,October3,1999,section11.

65Thereareconflictingcontentionswithrespecttothecitylimits.InthestatesaforesaidresponseinHCJ

3125/98,the4,800hectaresfigurewasgiven,butaddingupthefigurespresentedintheresponseitself

(sections811,42)providesalargertotal5,170hectares.ThewebsiteoftheMaaleAdummimMunicipality

offerstwofigures,one4,800hectaresandtheother5,500hectares.Seewww.maale

adummim.muni.il/Page.asp?id=1(visitedonJuly14,2009).Forthepurposesofthisreport,thelowestfigure,

4,800hectares,whichthestatespecified,isadopted.

66ThepopulationfiguresareupdatedtoJune30,2009.ThejurisdictionareasarebasedonCentralBureauof

Statisticsfigures(numberofresidentsdividedbypopulationdensitypersquarekilometer).

67EranRazin,EdnaPredo,andYigalBarzilay,ReportoftheCommissionofInquiryConcerningthe

BordersofMaaleAdummimandtheGushEtzionRegionalCouncil(March2009).


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23

byBimkom,PeaceNow,andtheAbuDis,Jahalin,andasSawahrahashSharqiyavillage

councils.

As theobjectorsargued, theproposal to integrateQedarwithin thejurisdictionareaofMaale

Adummimwasmade only after the asSawahrah ashSharqiyaVillageCouncil petitioned the

HighCourtofJusticeagainsttheplannedrouteoftheSeparationBarrier,whichleftmanyofits

villagelandsadjacenttoQedarontheIsraelisideofthebarrier.68Itappearsthattheexpansion

ofMaaleAdummims city limitswas intended tojustify to the court the routeof thebarrier,

whichleavesonitsIsraelisidemanymorelandsthanthesettlementsbuiltuparea.69

During thehearingsbeforetheChangeofBordersCommission,MaaleAdummimofficialsdid

notdeny

the

advantages,

from

their

point

of

view

and

with

respect

to

the

legal

battle

over

the

barriers route, in integratingQedarwithin thejurisdictionareaof the city.Themunicipalitys

general director, Eli HarNir, pointed out to the Commission that if Qedar becomes a

neighborhood ofMaale Adummim,with all that entails, itmustbewithin the [separation]

fencesroute,togetherwithMaaleAdummim.Thispositionmust,ithastobeadopted.Iknow

thatthereissuchanintention,butthematterhastobedecided,andpresentedtotheHighCourt

ofJustice.70

Inrejectingtheobjections,theCommissionignoredthecloselinkbetweentheproposaltoenlarge

MaaleAdummimscitylimitsandthelegalcontroversyovertheSeparationBarrierinthearea.

TheCommission also ignored the fact thatplanningwise, there isnojustification orneed for

furtherexpandingMaaleAdummimsjurisdictionarea,which isextensiveand includesmuch

landthathasnotyetbeendeveloped,despitebeingdesignatedforresidentialneighborhoodsin

approvedplanningschemes.Atthetimethisreportispublished,theMinisteroftheInteriorhas

68HCJ9919/05,asSawahrahashSharqiyaCounciletal.v.MinisterofDefenseetal.Thepetitionwasfiledon

October26,2005.OnOctober30,2005thecourtissuedatemporaryinjunctiontostopallconstructionwork

ofthebarrierintheareaofQedar.OnJune21,2006thecourtissuedanordernisi.OnAugust11,2009,the

courtdismissedthepetitionafterthestateannouncedthat,duetobudgetaryconstraints,thebarrierwould

notbebuiltintheareaintheforeseeablefuture.

69Bimkom,ObjectiontoChangingMaaleAdummimsJurisdictionArea,July31,2008.

70CommissionofInquiryintoChangeofBordersofMaaleAdummimCityLimitsRegionalCouncilGush

EtzionQedar,MinutesofMeetingNo.1,July3,2008.Grammaticalerrorintheoriginaltext.


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24

not yet decidedwhether to adopt the Commissions recommendations to annexQedar to to

Maale Adummim or not, and the Minister of Defense has not yet instructed the areas

commander to issue amilitaryorder thatwould change the citysborders accordingly. In the

meantime,thestateinformedtheHighCourtofJusticethat,duetobudgetaryconstraints,itdid

not intend to complete the Separation Barrier in the QedarMaale Adummim area in the

foreseeablefuture.Consequently,thecourtdismissedthepetitions(seebelow).However,tothe

bestofourknowledge, the states remains intentonexpanding thejurisdictionareaofMaale

Adummim.

2.TheOutlinePlans

Two outlineplans,which encompass almost all ofMaaleAdummimsjurisdiction area,have

been approved. In addition,hundredsofdetailedplanshavebeenprepared in the settlement,

mostrelatingtoindividualparcels,andsomecoveringlargeareas.Alltheseoutlineanddetailed

planswereapprovedbytheCivilAdministrationsplanningcommittees,whichundertheIsraeli

militarylegislationareempoweredtodepositplanningschemesandtoapprovethem.

Thefirstoutlineplan(plan420)

Outline plan 420was approved inNovember 1984. It encompasses some 3,500 hectares and

includesalmostallthelandsexpropriatedforMaaleAdummim(seeimage3),amongthemSite

A,wherethesettlementsresidentialneighborhoodswereestablished,andtheMishorAdummim

industrialzone.Theplan,preparedby theLeitersdorfGoldenberg firm,was submittedby the

MaaleAdummimLocalCouncil.

Theplanwasdesignedtoguidedevelopmentandconstructionintheplansareafor20years.Its

objectives are to ensure development of an urban area of a high quality of life and

environment.71Theoutlineplandoesnotincludedetailedprovisions,thereforebuildingpermits

71Section1.1.3intheordersofplan420.


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25

cannot be issued on the basis of plan 420. It defines the nature of development in Maale

Adummim(relativelylowconstructiondensity)andspecifiesthatupto10,000housingunitswill

bebuiltwithinitsboundaries.72Inadditiontotheresidentialzone,theplandesignateslandsfor

roads,industry,tourismandrecreation,anurbancenter,atransportationcenter,andsoforth.

Toimplementoutlineplan420,manydetailedplanswereapprovedovertheyears,pursuantto

whichbuildingpermitswere issued.Theseplans enable the construction ofmore than 10,000

housingunits,mostofwhichhavebeenbuilt all inSiteA,whichwasmarked as apossible

locationfortheestablishmentofaciviliansettlementontheexpropriationmappresentedtothe

ministerialcommitteebackin1975.

Variousdetailedplanswere approved for theMishorAdummim industrial zone aswell.The

maindetailedplansareplan420/2/1(some100hectares),whichwassubmittedbytheJerusalem

EconomicCompanyandwasapprovedin1982;plan420/2/2(about123hectares),alsosubmitted

byJEC,whichwasapprovedin1986;andplan420/2/4(57hectares),submittedbytheMinistryof

TradeandIndustryandapprovedin1996.

PlansforE1

ThesecondMaaleAdummimoutlineplanisplan420/4forE1,theareaadjacenttoJerusalems

municipalborders,asdefinedafter1967(seeimage3).Theplanencompassessome1,200hectares

mostly landdeclaredby Israelasgovernmentproperty,someexpropriated land,andasmall

areaofstate landregistered in theLandRegistryasgovernmentpropertyduring theperiodof

Jordanianrule.E1includes,forthemostpart,landlyingnorthofRoad1(theJerusalemJericho

road),butalsolandlyingsouthoftheroad,adjacenttothejunctionofRoad1withRoad417,and

westofRoad417.Outlineplan420/4zoneslandsforresidentialuse,tourism,regionalcommerce

andservices,aregionalcemetery,roads,andso forth. Itwaspreparedby thearchitectShlomo

Aharonson,submittedbytheMaaleAdummimMunicipality,andapprovedin1999.

CemeteryforJerusalem

In 1989, theHigherPlanningCouncil (HPC) in theCivilAdministration approved adetailed

72Section2.2.1intheordersofplan420.


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26

plan,plan 200/1, for a regional cemetery.The plan area,which covers some 61 hectares, is

situatedinthesouthernpartofE1,onvillagelandsofalEizariyahandAbuDis.Theplanwas

initiatedby theJerusalemJewishCemeteriesCouncil,which is chargedwithprovidingburial

servicesforresidentsofthecity.Theplanordersdonotstatewhatregionalcemeterymeans,

anditfailstoexplainthespecificregionthatthecemeteryismeanttoserve.

Following approval of the plan, the Cemeteries Council published abrochure explaining its

intentregardingtheregionalcemetery.Accordingtothebrochure,plan200/1wasintendedtofill

theshortageofcemeteries inJerusalem,whichwereleftwithout land forburial,and thesite

willprovidesome130,000graves.JustliketheMishorAdummimindustrialzone15yearsearlier,

IsraelrelatedtotheareaofMaaleAdummim,whichisintheWestBank,asanareaintendedto

meetJerusalemsneeds,as if itwerean integralpartoftheStateofIsrael,andnotanoccupied

territory.

In early 1991,PeaceNow filed apetition in theHighCourtofJustice against the intention to

establish a cemetery forJerusalem in theWest Bank. In the petition,PeaceNow argued that

burial of Israeli residents in the area is intended solely to serve andbenefit the occupying

powers, and exploits the territory contrary to the interests of the local residents and in

contraventionofinternationallaw.73

After theHighCourt ofJustice issued an ordernisi and instructed the state to respond to the

petition, the State Attorneys Office informed the court that it agreed that a cemetery for

residentsofJerusalemshouldnotbebuiltinJudeaandSamaria.74Accordingly,thepetitionwas

dismissed.75

Despitethis,plan200/1wasnotannulled,andremainedineffectuntilitwaschangedbyoutline

plan420/4forE1.Theareadesignatedinplan200/1foracemeteryiszonedinoutlineplan420/4

73HCJ997/91,PeaceNowetal.v.JerusalemJewishCemeteriesCounciletal.ThepetitionwasfiledonMarch12,

1991.

74Adv.MenachemMazuz,FirstSeniorDeputytotheStateAttorney,StatementonBehalfofRespondents2,

4,and5,andJointApplicationtoDismissthePetition,HCJ997/91,PeaceNowetal.v.JerusalemJewish

CemeteriesCounciletal,July11,1991.

75HCJ997/91,PeaceNowetal.v.JerusalemJewishCemeteriesCounciletal.RulingofAugust19,1991.


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27

asacommercialarea.However,theplannersofoutlineplan420/4didnotgiveuponbuildinga

regionalcemeterywithinMaaleAdummimscity limits:outlineplan420/4designatessome26

hectaresforaregionalcemeteryinthenorthernsectionofE1.

TheprimaryprocedureforgainingcontroloflandsinE1wasdeclarationsonstateland,andnot

expropriation.Consequently,E1isnotcontiguous,asistheareaofoutlineplan420.Itisbroken

upbyenclavesofprivatelyownedPalestinianland(77.5hectaresintotal)thatwerenotincluded

inthedeclarationsbecausethelandwascontinuallycultivated.Outlineplan420/4doesnotapply

to theseenclaves.However, if theresidentialneighborhoodsplanned inE1arebuilt, it isvery

doubtfulwhetherthePalestinianlandownerswillbeabletocontinuetoreachtheseenclavesand

cultivatethem,giventhespatialrealitycreatedbytheoutlineplanandgiventhatthejurisdiction

areasofallthesettlementsweredeclaredbythearmyCommanderasaclosedmilitaryzonefor

Palestinians.76

Officially,thisdeclarationappliestotheentirejurisdictionareasofsettlements.However,inmost

cases theprohibition on entrance ofPalestinians is enforced onlywith respect to thebuiltup

areasofsettlements,andnottothejurisdictionareas,whichareoftenmuchlarger.Forexample,

hundredsofPalesitnianvehiclestraveldailyonasectionofRoad417thatleadstothetownsof

al

Eizariyah

and

Abu

Dis,

although

this

road

section

lies

within

the

municipal

borders

of

Ma

ale

Adummimbutoutside itsbuiltuparea.Hence, the landownersof theE1enclaves can still

reach them today, but it is highly doubtful whether they would continue to enjoy this

accessibilityoncetheconstructionplansforresidentialpurposesareimplementedinE1andthe

enclavesareencircledbyinhabitedneighborhoods.

Outlineplan420/4doesnot includedetailedprovisions,and thereforebuildlingpermitscannot

be issued on thebasis of thisplan.Hence, its implementation requires thatdetailed plansbe

prepared to its various zones. To the best of knowledge, at least three detailed plans for

residentialneighborhoodsinE1,comprisingatotalof3,910housingunits,arebeingprepared.77

76DeclarationConcerningClosingofLand(IsraeliSettlements),2002.

77Thedetailedplansareplan420/4/3forhotelsand260housingunits;plan420/4/7for1,250housingunits;

andplan420/4/10for2,400housingunits.ThesedataweretakenfromthereportofBrigadierGeneral

BaruchSpiegel,publishedinthewebsiteofHaaretzonJanuary30,2009.


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28

Theseplans have not yetbeendeposited forpublic inspection, sowedonot have additional

detailsconcerningthem.

Implementation ofthebuildingplansinE1willhavefarreachingramifications.Constructionof

residentialneighborhoodsnorthofRoad1anddevelopmentwestoftheconnectingroad,Road

417,willturnthemintolocalroadsthatwillpasswithinthecontiguousbuiltupareaofMaale

Adummim,nullifyingtheregionalfunctiontheycurrentlyfillforPalestinians.Thiswillresultin

the roadsbeingpartiallyor fully closed toPalestinians.Furthermore, thenortheasternpartof

outlineplan 420/4 also includes a section ofRoad 437,which is the only access road open to

PalestiniansfromthenorthernWestBank(theRamallahregion)toitssouthernpart.Despitethe

declarationof

the

settlements

jurisdiction

areas

as

aclosed

military

zone,

Palestinians

are

presently able to travelon these roadsbecause theydonotpass through thebuiltup area of

MaaleAdummim.Ifoutlineplan420/4isfullyimplemented,theseroadswillbeencircledbythe

contiguousbuiltupareaofthesettlement,resultinginthealmostcertainclosingoftheroadsto

Palestinians.Thiswillleadtotheobstructionofspatialconnectionsbetweenthesouthernpartof

theWestBankanditsnorthernregion.

Construction in E1 will exacerbate the forced separation between the West Bank and East

Jerusalem.The planned residential neighborhoods inE1willborder thebuiltup area ofEast

Jerusalem in the east, connectwithJewishneighborhoodsnorth of theOldCity, and create a

physicaland functionalpartitionbetweenEastJerusalemand thePalestinianpopulationof the

restoftheWestBank,forwhomthecityisamajormetropolitanandreligiouscenter.78

In addition to residential neighborhoods, outline plan 420/4 also zones several public areas.

Detailedplans for twopubliczones,pursuant towhichbuildingpermitsmaybe issued,have

alreadybeenapproved.Thefirstdetailedplanthatwasapproved,plan420/4/2,coverssome135

hectaresandisdesignatedforajointmetropolitanemploymentandbusinessescenterforMaale

AdummimandJerusalem.Theplanwassubmittedby theMinistryof IndustryandTradeand

waspreparedbytheRechesEshkolfirm.Approvedin2002,ithasnotyetbeenimplemented.

78AmosHarel,DespiteUSProtest,PlanforExpandingMaaleAdummimandBisectingtheWestBank

Proceeds,Haaretz,May14,2009.


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29

Thesecondplan,plan420/4/9,encompassessome18hectaresandisdesignatedfortheSamaria

andJudea(SHAI)PoliceDistrictHeadquarters.ItwassubmittedbytheMinistryofConstruction

andHousing, preparedby architectAmatziaAharonson, and approved in 2005, shortly after

work(roadconstruction)hadalreadybeguntherewithoutpermits.Althoughitsprofessedaimis

constructionofthepoliceheadquarters,theplanincludesanextensivesystemofroads,someof

which aremore than 30meterswide.Themain road,which runs fromRoad 1 to the police

headquarters,hasbetweentwoanduptothreelanesineachdirection.Itcutsthroughanenclave

ofprivatelyownedPalestinianland,inaccordancewithplan420/4,whichenablesthepavingof

roadsthroughtheE1enclaves.79

Fromaplanning

perspective

there

is

no

justification

for

such

awide

road,

if

its

sole

purpose

is

to

enable access to the police headquarters. According to the documents of plan 420/4/9, the

maximum volume of traffic anticipated for the road leading to the police headquarters is 80

vehiclesanhour,andthemaximumvolumeoftrafficforecastinbothdirectionsis110vehiclesan

hour.Incomparison,inthesectionofIsraelsCoastalRoad(Road2)betweentheZichronYaakov

interchange and the Atlit interchange, which is also a twolane road in each direction, the

maximum trafficvolumeheadingnorthon the road in2009was1,675vehiclesanhour.80This

volumeismorethan20timesgreaterthantheanticipatedmaximumvolumeontheroadleading

tothepoliceheadquartersinE1.Despitethis,theaccessroadhastwolanes,insomeplacesthree

lanes, in each direction, like Road 2 in the section between the Zichron Yaakov and Atlit

interchanges.

Theonlyreasonfortheextensiveandwideroadsystemthathasalreadybeenpavedinthearea

covered by plan 420/4/9 is that it forms part of the future development of the residential

neighborhoodplanned tobebuiltnext to thepoliceheadquarters,and is therefore intended to

enableamuchlargervolumeoftrafficthanthatheadingtothepolicecompounditself.Thetraffic

appendix to thedetailedplan showsadditional roads,whichdonot appear in themainplan,

branchingoff themain road,which leads to thepoliceheadquarters.The trafficappendixalso

shows dozens of residentialbuildings planned tobe erected around the police headquarters,

79Section1.5inPart7oftheordersinplan420/4.

80CBS,TransportStatisticsQuarterlyno.2,Table38,2009,

http://www.cbs.gov.il/www/archive/quart20092/transport_q/t38.pdf.


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30

alongthesecondaryroadsandinaccordancewithoutlineplan420/4,whichzonesthisareafor

residentialconstruction.

Plan 420/4/9 has already been implemented, and the SHAI Police District headquarters is

operationalthere.Alongwiththebuildingofthepoliceheadquarters,variousconstructionworks

havebeenundertaken,includingthepavingofroads,theerectionofsupportwalls,thebuilding

oftrafficcirclestoregulatetraffic,andtheimplementationoflightingposts,atanestimatedtotal

costof200million shekels (more than50,000millionUSdollars).81Thisprovides furtherproof

that, under the guise of constructing police headquarters, infrastructurewasbuilt for future

residential neighborhoods containing hundreds of housing units, in accordwith outline plan

420/4.

NexttothepoliceheadquartersarewoodenandtinbuildingsofasSawahrahBedouins.Outline

plan420/24zones thisareatooforresidentialconstructionforsettlers.HilwaAhmad AliZeri,

wholivesthere,toldBTselemaboutherfearsforthefuture:

Myfamilyhas livedheresince1900.Myfathergrewuphereearly lastcentury,andI

was born here in a tent in 1937. My five brothers Musa, Hassan, Hamidan,

Muhammad,andAhmadstilllivehere,intheplacewheretheywereborn.

Wenow

are

about

150

persons.

We

used

to

make

aliving

from

farming,

mostly

raising

sheepandgoats.SinceMaaleAdummimwasbuilt,wevehadmuchlessgrazingland.

Therefore,weareforcedtobuyfodder,andduetheheavycostsinvolved,wehavehad

nooptionbuttoreduceconsiderablythenumberofsheepandgoatsweriase.Mostof

my family switched to house cleaning in Maale Adummim, and farming was

neglected.

Now, ourmain fear is that the settlers intend tobuild a new neighborhood in our

residentialarea.Wehavenootherplace.Iamespeciallyconcernedaboutthefutureof

81AmosHarel(seefn.1).Forapresentationontheinfrastructureworkinthepolicecompound,see

http://www.shaularieli.com/image/users/77951/ftp/my_files/Power

Point%20Show/mevaseret_adumimNEW.pps.


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31

my children and grandchildren: if the settlersbuild a new neighborhood here,my

familywillbeexpelledfromtheplaceithaslivedformorethan100years.82

TheAbuDiswastedisposalsite:thebackyardofJerusalem

Outlineplan 420/4 also includes theAbuDiswastedisposal site,whichhadbeen established

manyyearsbeforetheoutlineplanwasapproved.Thedumpingsitebecameoperational inthe

early1980s,shortlyafterthelandwasexpropriatedfromitsPalestinianowners.83Itwasnotuntil

1991 thatadetailedplan,number58/1603,wasapprovedfor thesite.Thisplancoverssome44

hectares.

Like theMishorAdummim industrial zone, thewastedisposal sitewas intended toprimarily

serveJerusalem,astheonlysolutionfordisposingofallofthecityshouseholdrefuse.84Israels

topplanners,whowerecommissionedbytheMinistryofHousingandConstructiontoprepare

theprofessional surveysand thepreliminaryplanning forMaaleAdummim,viewed theAbu

Diswastedisposal site ashaving another advantage, in addition toproviding forJerusalems

needs.TheybelievedthatthedumpingsitewouldgreatlylimitPalestinianbuildinginthearea.85

According totheStateComptroller,allofJerusalemshouseholdrefuse is taken totheAbuDis

wastedisposalsite.Fourmilliontonsofgarbagehadbeenburied inthesiteby2001,whenthe

StateComptrollermadehisreport,whichfoundmanydefectsinoperationofthesite,including

environmentalnuisances.86

82HilwaAhmadAliZerigavehertestimonytoBTselemsresearcherKareemJubranonSeptember17,

2009.

83AccordingtotheresponseoftheCivilAdministration,ExpropriationOrder41/80thatwasissuedforthe

wastedisposalsiteencompassessome53hectares(seefn.15).

84StateComptroller,ReportsonAuditingofLocalGovernment,Associations,andInstitutionsofHigherEducation

(2003),p.306.

85UrbanInstitute(seefn.38),p.127.

86StateComptroller(seefn.84).


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32

Accordingto19981999figuresreleasedbytheMinistryofEnvironmentalProtection,95percent

ofalltherefuse(1,150tonsaday)buriedintheAbuDissitecomesfromJerusalem,theremainder

originating inMaaleAdummimandother communities.87Updated statisticspresentedby the

stateinitsresponsetoaHighCourtofJusticepetition,inrecentyears,90percentofallthewaste

buried in thewastedisposalsitecomes fromJerusalem, fourpercent fromsettlements,and the

remainderfromPalestiniancommunities.IntheperiodfromJuly2007throughJune2008,some

450,000 tons of refusewereburied in thewastedisposal site, approximately 400,000ofwhich

camefromJerusalem.88

In 2003, the Civil Administration deposited a plan for the expansion of the Abu Diswaste

disposalsite.

According

to

the

new

planning

scheme,

plan

58/1603/1,

the

site

is

to

be

closed

withinafewyears.Untilthen,itsborderswillbeexpandedandupto1,800tonsofwastewillbe

dumpedtheredaily.Theplansdocumentsdonotgiveatargetdatefortheclosing.Accordingto

theStateComptroller,itwastohaveclosedin2006.89Plan58/1063/1wassubmittedjointlybythe

MaaleAdummimMunicipalityandtheJerusalemMunicipalityandwasapprovedbytheCivil

Administration.However,anoticedeclaring theofficialapprovalof theplanhasnotyetbeen

publishedinthepress,duetoadisputebetweenthemunicipalities regardingwhichofthetwo

willpayforrehabilitationofthesite.90Hence,plan58/1063/1isnotavalidplan.Meanwhile,the

existingsitehasoperatedunlawfullyforseveralyears,andwasteisbeingdumpedtherebeyond

thelimitsoftheareazonedforthispurposeinthevalidplan.

Along with the procedures for expanding the Abu Dis waste disposal site, the Jerusalem

Municipalitypreparedamasterplan forgarbagedisposal,which states thatit isnecessary to

speeduptheconstructionofnewwastedisposalsiteintheMishorAdummimarea,withagreater

87MinistryofEnvironmentalProtection,OfficeoftheChiefScientist,andMunicipalEnvironmental

AssociationofJudea,SurveyofWasteDisposalSitesinJudea,19981999,p.19.

88HCJ10611/08,MaaleAdummimMunicipalityv.CommanderofIDFForcesinJudeaandSamariaetal.,Response

oftheState,February22,2009,section32.

89StateComptroller(seefn.84).

90HCJ10611/08,MaaleAdummimMunicipalityv.CommanderofIDFForcesinJudeaandSamariaetal.,Response

oftheState,February22,2009,section16.


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33

capacity than that of the Abu Dis site.91 On 28 September 2005, the Civil Administration

approved detailed plan 58/420/7 for the Mishor Adummimwaste disposal site. The plan,

prepared by GeoProspect Ltd. and submitted by the Maale Adummim Municipality,

encompassessome87hectares (twice theareaof thevalidplan for theAbuDiswastedisposal

site) of the village lands of Anata,Khan alAhmar, andNabiMusa.As of now, theMishor

Adummimwastedisposalsitehasnotbeenbuilt,andJerusalemshouseholdrefusecontinuesto

beburiedintheAbuDissite.

Under international law, the occupying power is forbidden to exploit for its own needs the

natural resourcesof theoccupied territory.92Thisprinciplealso servedas thebasis for several

HighCourt

of

Justice

rulings.93

The

Israeli

State

Attorney

accepts

this

position.

In

arecent

responsetoaHighCourtofJusticepetitionwheretheMaaleAdummimmuniciplaityaskedto

beexemptedfrompaymentofleviesforthedisposalofPalestinianrefusebroughttotheAbuDis

dumbingsite,theStateAttorneystatedthatcessationofburialofPalestinianrefusetherewould

negatethevery legaljustification for theexistenceof the site.TheStateAttorneys response

further argued that theAbuDiswastedisposal sites legitimization stems from the fact it

provides a solution for the lawfuldisposalofPalestinian refuse.That is, it isunreasonable to

build and operate a waste disposal site in the heart of a certain population, without that

populationgainingbenefitfromthesite,whileitonlybearstheenvironmentalcosts.94Despite

thesefirmwords,thestatespositionbeforetheHighCourtofJusticeisthatitissufficientthata

fewpercentoftherefuseburiedinthesitecomesfromPalestiniancommunitiestolegallyjustify

91StateComptroller,(seefn.84),pp.316317(emphasisadded);seealsothereferenceoftheMinistryof

EnvironmentalProtectiontoJerusalemsnewgarbagedumpingsiteinMishorAdummim:

www.sviva.gov.il/bin/en.jsp?enPage=BlankPage&enDisplay=view&enDispWhat=Zone&enDispWho=jerusal

em_trash&enZone=jerusalem_trash(visitedonJuly25,2009).

92Therelevantprovisionofinternationallawisarticle55oftheRegulationsattachedtotheHague

ConventionontheLawsandCustomsofWaronLandof1907.

93See,forexample,HCJ393/82,JamiyyatIskanalMualimounalMahddudaalMasuliyyahv.CommanderofIDF

ForcesinJudeaandSamaria,RulingofDecember28,1983.

94HCJ10611/08,MaaleAdummimMunicipalityv.CommanderofIDFForcesinJudeaandSamariaetal.,sections

55and56ofthestatesresponse,February22,2009.


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34

its existence and its use as awastedisposal site ofJerusalem.This position contradictsHigh

Court ofJustice rulingswhereby, if an administrative action hasmore than one purpose, its

legalityisdeterminedbyitsdominantobjective.95

Themasterplan

Alongsidestatutoryplanningofthecity,bymeansofoutlineanddetailedplans,amasterplan

wasrecentlypreparedforMaaleAdummim.Thebordersofthemasterplanarealmostidentical

tothatoftheexpandedcitylimits,asrecommendedbytheInteriorMinistrysChangeofBorders

Commission,describedabove.

Themasterplandoesnotconformwith,andisnotrecognizedunder,theJordanianplanninglaw

applying to the West Bank. Contrary to outline and the detailed plans, which are binding

statutory documents,master plans are a guideline, a general planning framework. Statutory

plansaredepositedsothatthepubliccanraiseobjectionstothem;masterplansarenotpublished

and the public is not allowed to object to such plans. From the point of view of planning

institutions,masterplanscombine thegoodsof twoworlds:on theonehand, theydefine, ina

generaloutlinemanner,thezoningoftheareatowhichtheyapplyanddictateitsdevelopment.

On the other hand, the public cannot object to them, so that theburden of hearing public

objectionsandconsideringthemisavoided.Hence,masterplansoftenserveasameanstobypass

the legal requirement ofdepositing plans and allowing public objections tobe heard, and to

preventanyinvolvementofthepublicPalestiniansinparticularinplanningdecisionsrelating

directly toits livingenvironmentandtoitsfuture.Masterplanswerealsoprepared forseveral

othersettlements,e.g.,ModiinIllitandKiryatArba,andinsomecommunitieswithinIsrael.

The Maale Adummim master plan was prepared in 2005, at the initiative of the Maale

AdummimMunicipality and theMinistry ofConstruction andHousing,by architectYonatan

Shiloni. It covers some 6,546 hectares, about 1,750 hectares (onethird) more than the current

jurisdictionareaofMaaleAdummim.96

95HCJ390/79,IzzatMuhammadMustafaDweiqatand16Othersv.GovernmentofIsraeletal.,RulingofOctober

22,1979.

96MaaleAdummimMasterPlan,August2005.


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35

Although it isnota statutoryoutlineplan, in2006, theHigherPlanningCouncil (HPC) in the

Civil Administration, the highest planning institution in the West Bank, held a hearing

concerningthemasterplan.Minutesofthehearingindicatethatthemasterplansmainobjective

istoenablesubstantialpopulationgrowthinthecity,fromamaximumof70,000residentsinthe

existingoutlineplans(includingE1,wherehousingunitsforsome16,000residentsareplanned)

toapproximately103,000residentsinthemasterplan.Otherobjectivesofthemasterplanareto

createaroadsystem thatwill improveMaaleAdummimsconnection toIsraelsnationalroad

network;inclusionoftheQedarsettlementwithinthejurisdictionareaofMaaleAdummim,and

constructionof6,000housingunitson the landsofQedar tobeannexed to thecity;97And the

establishment ofmetropolitan and national infrastructure, such as an airstrip to replace the

AtarotAirportinEastJerusalem,aMaaleAdummimTelAvivrailwayline,atradefairscenter,a

wastedisposalsitetoprimarilyserveJerusalem,andsoon.98

A conspicuous feature of the master plan is the fact it completely ignores the existence of

privatelyownedPalestinianlandwithinitsboundaries,enclavesthatarenotpresentlypartofthe

jurisdictionareaofMaaleAdummim,althoughtheyaresurroundedonallsidesbylandthatis

municipallypartof thesettlement.Hence, thestatutoryoutlineplansof thecitydontapply to

these enclaves.With respect to the advantages of themaster plan, the head of the planning

bureauintheCivilAdministrationstatedthatthemasterplanisessentiallyintendedtogivea

pictureof theplanning conceptunder the existing limitationsof islands [Palestinian enclaves]

within this area, islands thatwe arenot allowed toplannor to control anddevelop [...]This

wouldremain thecase if the internal [Palestinian]enclaveswereeliminated,wereacquired,or

declaredstateland,andsoforth.Lackingtheabilitytomakeacontiguous[statutoryoutline]planfor

these lands,we classified it as amasterplan.99Hence, themaster plan is intended, inter alia, to

overcome the legal prohibition to incorporate privatelyowned Palestinian land within the

statutoryplans.

97PresentationofthemasterplanmadebyGadiBrandes,MaaleAdummimmunicipalengineer,beforethe

ChangeofBordersCommission(seefn.70).

98HigherPlanningCouncil,MinutesNo.498/2/06,ofMay17,2006,MaaleAdummimMasterPlan.

99CommissionofInquiryintoChangeofBordersofMaaleAdummimCityLimitsRegionalCouncilGush

EtzionQedar,MinutesofMeetingNo.2,heldonAugust31,2008(emphasisadded).


36/56

36

Attheendofthehearing,theHPCapprovedthemasterplan,subjecttocertainamendments,asa

guidingdocumentforthepreparationofstatutoryplansforMaaleAdummim.Initsdecision,

theHPC stated that preferencewillbe given to approval of an outline plan for the entire

jurisdictionareaofMaaleAdummim.Ifforpoliticalorotherreasons,itisnotpossibletopromotesuch

anoutlineplan,planningschemeswillbeseparatelypreparedforpartsofthemasterplan,withthestages

of development being based on the said master plan and taking into account

military/political/environmentalandotherlimitations.100

Thus,themasterplan,whichlacksanylegalstatus,isalreadyservingasabasisforthedetailed

statutoryplanningofMaaleAdummim,directingitsdevelopmentinthefuture.Thereisrecent

proofof

this.

In

July

2009,

the

Civil

Administration

announced

the

deposit

of

detailed

plan

420/2/3/1,coveringsome10hectares in theMishorAdummim industrialzone.Theobjectiveof

theplanistorezoneitslandfromanindustrialareatoacemetery.Thesiteisthesamelocation

designatedinthemasterareaforacemetery.101Detailedplan420/2/3/1isthusdirectlybasedon

themasterplanandisasmallsteponthewaytoitsimplementation,which,inthewordsofthe

headoftheplanningbureauintheCivilAdministration,willnotbedoneinoneswoop,soasnot

toraiseattentionandcreateapoliticalcontroversy,butgradually,bymeansofalargenumberof

detailedplans,eachforanotherpartofthemasterplansarea.Itisdoubtfulwhetherthiscourse

ofactionislawful,giventheexpressprovisionintheJordanianplanninglaw,wherebydetailed

plansmustbebasedonalawfullyapprovedstatutoryoutlineplan,andnotonamasterplan.102

3.TheSeparationBarrier

100Seeft.98(emphasisadded).

101Themasterplanalsochangesthestatutoryoutlineplan420/4forE1.Itrezonestheland,whichis

designatedinoutlineplan420/4foraregionalcemetery,intoresidentialandopenareas.

102Article23(1)oftheTowns,VillagesandBuildingsPlanningLaw(TemporaryLaw)(No.79)of1966.


37/56

37

InApril2006,thegovernmentofIsraelapprovedanamendedroutefortheSeparationBarrierin

theWestBank.103Attachedtothedecisionwasamapshowingthebarriersroute.104IntheMaale

Adummimarea,theroutepenetratessome14kilometerseastoftheGreenLineand11kilometers

east of Jerusalems post1967 municipal border. It leaves on its Israeli side most of the

jurisdiction area ofMaaleAdummim, except for somedesert lands mainly in the east and

south; almost all the land coveredby outlineplan 420/4 forE1; the small settlements ofKfar

Adummim,Almon,Nofey Prat,Alon, andQedar (less than 5,000 residents in total); and the

MishorAdummimindustrialzone(seeimage4).

The planned routewill create a 6,400hectare enclave,which, in addition to the settlements,

includesthe

Palestinian

village

of

az

Zaayem

(3,500

residents)

and

3,000

Bedouins

from

the

al

Kaabaneh,asSawahrah,andJahalintribes.ThestateintendstomovetheJahalinBedouinstoa

relocationsiteinthelandsofAbuDis,onthePalestiniansideofthebarrier.105Evenifintention

comes true, construction of thebarrier along the planned route will result in thousands of

Palestinians finding themselveswithin the seam zone, the term usedby Israeli officials to

describetheareatrappedbetweentheGreenLineandtheSeparationBarrier.Thestateinformed

theHigh Court ofJustice that, as elsewhere in the seam zone, Palestinians in theMaale

Adummimenclavewillbesubjecttoastringentpermitregime:106theywillberequiredtoreceive

permitstocontinuetoliveintheirhomesandvillages,andrelativeslivingintownsandvillages

outsidetheseamzonewillhavetoobtainaonetimepermitfromtheCivilAdministrationin

103GovernmentDecisionNo.4783,AmendedRouteoftheSecurityFence,April30,2006.

104SeethewebsiteoftheSeamZoneAdministration,

http://www.securityfence.mod.gov.il/Pages/ENG/route.htm.

105Inthiscontext,permanentsitereferstoafixedcommunity,unlikethetemporaryresidenceofBedouins

intentsandotherbuildlings,whicharemovedaccordingtoenvironmentalconditionsandseasonofthe

year.

106SeetheHighCourtsrulinginHCJ7957/04,ZaharanYounisMuhammadMaraabeetal.v.PrimeMinisterof

Israeletal.,ofSeptember15,2005,statingthatthepermitregimewouldapplytoallPalestinianresidentsin

theseamzone(includingMaaleAdummim),exceptfortheGushEtzionenclave.


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38

order to visit them. The lives of these thousands of Palestinianswillbecome abureaucratic

nightmare.107

FollowingpetitionstotheHighCourtofJustice,filedbythevillagecouncilsofasSawahrahash

SharqiyaandAbuDis,thestateannouncedasignificantchangeinthesouthernsectionofthe

barriersroutenearQedar theonlysectionforwhichrequisitionordershadbeenissued.108This

significantchange,however,willreducetheseamzoneinMaaleAdummimonlybysome

240hectares, from6,400hectares toapproximately6,160hectares.According todetails that the

securityestablishmentreleased to thepress,after thechange,MaaleAdummimand the small

settlementsnearbywillremainontheIsraelisideofthebarrier,aswillthePalestinianvillageof

azZaayem

and

the

Bedouin

residential

compounds.109

Hence,

the

amendment

will

have

no

effect

onthefabricoflifeofPalestinianslivingintheenclave,andtheirnumberwillremainthesameas

beforethechangeinroute.

Norwill thechange improve theconditionof tensof thousandsofPalestinianswho live inal

Eizariyah, Abu Dis, Anata, and asSawahrah ashSharqiya. The builtup areas of these

communitiesaretrappedbetweenthewesternbarrier(theJerusalemenvelope),mostofwhich

was built along Jerusalems post1967 municipal borders, and the eastern barrier in Maale

Adummim.ThewesternbarrierhasalreadyseveredlonglastingtieswithJerusalemthatgoback

generations, andhaspreventeddevelopment of thesePalestinian communitieswestward.The

easternbarrierwillnowprevent them frombuilding,development,andeven thepossibilityof

107Forfurtherdiscussiononthepermitregimeintheseamzone,seeBimkom,BetweenFences:TheEnclaves

CreatedbytheSeparationBarrier,Jerusalem(October2006),pp.1516.

108HCJ9919/05,asSawahrahashSharqiyaCounciletal.v.MinisterofDefenseetal;HCJ2001/06,AbuDisCouncil

byCouncilHeadIbrahimJafalv.MinisterofDefense.Thetwopetitions,whichwereheardtogether,were

dismissedonAugust11,2009afterthestatehadinformedthecourt,asnoted,that,duetobudgetary

constraints,itdidnotintendtoexecutetherequisitionordersthathadbeenissuedforthissectionofthe

barrier.

109TomerZarchinandYuvalAzulay,RouteoftheSeparationFenceApproachesMaaleAdummim,

Haaretz,August24,2008.ThearticlestatesthattheamendedroutewillreducetheseamzoneinMaale

Adummimbysome400hectares,butanexaminationoftherequisitionordersissuedforitindicatesthatthe

differenceisonly240hectares.


39/56

39

farming in theeastwarddirection.Moreover, thedisruptionof theexisting road system in the

areawillrenderaccesstoRamallah,inthenorth,andBethlehem,inthesouth,difficult.Afterthe

forced separation from Jerusalem, Ramallah and Bethlehem are the only cities capable of

supplyingvitalservices(suchashealthandadministration)toresidentsoftheabovementioned

Palestiniantownsandvillages.110

EvenbeforethejuridicalproceedingsintheHighCourtofJusticewereexhausted,thestatetook

severalmeasures to enable construction of thebarrier along theplanned route. In September

2007, Israel expropriated some141hectaresof thevillage landsofAbuDis, asSawahrah ash

Sharqiya,NabiMusa,andKhanalAhmar,topavewhattheIsraelisecuritysystemcallsafabric

oflife

road.

This

road

is

designed

to

enable

Palestinians

to

travel

between

the

northern

and

southernsectionsoftheWestBank,byprovidinganalternativetoroads1,417,and437,which

wouldbeblockedby thebarrier.111Theplannedfabricoflife roadwillconnectwithRoad1

(theJerusalemJerichoroad)eastoftheMishorAdummimindustrialzone,andonthewestwith

thebuiltup

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