The Judea and Samaria Civil Administration’s Supreme Planning Council is expected to advance four major Palestinian Authority building plans in Area C this week, reversing the decisions of the Political-Security Cabinet in July 2019, Makor Rishon reported Friday (המנהל האזרחי יכשיר אלפי בתים פלסטיניים לא חוקיים).
Area C is an Oslo II administrative division of Judea and Samaria, defined as “areas of the West Bank outside Areas A and B.” Area C constitutes about 61% of the 1967 liberated territories, and was committed in 1995 under Oslo II to be “gradually transferred to Palestinian jurisdiction,” but such a transfer never took place, mainly because instead of peace, the Oslo accords had led to rivers of blood with thousands of Jewish victims.
The PA construction plans in Area C were due to come up for discussion a few weeks ago, concurrent with the approval of thousands of Jewish construction units in the area. After vigorous protests by Yesha leaders and other right-wing elements, the approval clause for the illegal Arab outpost Beit Zechariah in the heart of Gush Etzion was removed from the agenda. But there are still two plans on the same agenda that continue to upset the right. One of them is the legalizing of 1,668 housing units in the illegal Arab settlement of al-Aqban near Herodion, some 7 miles south of Jerusalem. The planning council is also expected to legalize 160 Arab housing units in Dahar al-Malah, near Shaked in northern Samaria, as well as 296 illegal structures in Hizma on the outskirts of Jerusalem, and a hotel in Beit Jala.
According to Makor Rishon, the massive legalization of Arab homes is an initiative of Defense Minister Benny Gantz, but it is supported by Prime Minister Naftali Bennett who hopes the move would appease the Biden administration.
The Regavim movement has been up in arms against the plan, and it issued a statement saying this is not an extension of construction in Areas A or B, It’s also not about expanding legal villages – it is about legalizing entire villages that were built illegally, as part of the Palestinian Authority takeover of Area C.
“The previous government, realizing the dangerous potential of approving such plans, halted their promotion following a discussion in the Political-Security Cabinet in July 2019. “But the current government chooses to advance the Palestinian Authority’s plans in Area C, even though their approval means aid to the establishment of a Palestinian state,” Regavim stated.