Behind the Headlines; Proposed Changes in Territories Causing Deep Concern for Settlers

Jewish settlers in the West Bank and Gaza Strip are worried — now more than ever before. Hardly a day passes without bad news, as far as they are concerned.

Last week, they read reports of a proposal to set up a Palestinian police force in the territories, even prior to the implementation of an autonomy agreement.

Then early this week, they heard of the government’s plans to allow the return of some 30 Palestinians who were expelled from the territories between 1967 and 1987.

Later in the week, the settlers faced reports that the government intends to offer the Palestinians expanded authority over land in the territories.

The settlers are particularly concerned about control over land, especially as it relates to land available for expanding their settlements or adding new ones.

Fourteen years ago, Israel’s High Court of Justice banned the government from establishing settlements on private property that had been confiscated from Arabs “for security reasons.”

The Likud government found a way to circumvent the ban, by declaring tens of thousands of acres “state land.” This label applied to lands that had no clear private ownership.

It became up to Arab claimants to try to prove in court that the land in question was theirs. Since very few went to court, and even fewer were able to prove ownership, the state ended up with plenty of land to offer the settlers.

ENRAGED ABOUT POLICE FORCE PROPOSAL

Some 90 percent of the settlements in the territories were erected on such “state land,” and the rest were established on land that was either owned by Jews prior to the 1948 War of Independence or purchased by Jews after the Six-Day War of 1967.

Of the approximate 2 million acres of land in the West Bank, a third is believed to fall under the category of “state land.”

The settlers are concerned that giving the Palestinians authority over land would put an end to further development of Jewish settlements in the territories.

Settlers are also enraged with the reported proposal to set up a Palestinian police force. Afraid that Palestinian police belonging to such a force might acquire jurisdictional authority over Jews as well, the settlers say they will shoot at any armed Palestinians, regardless if they are in uniform or not.

The subject came up during a Cabinet meeting this week, with ministers warning settlers that they will be met with force from the government if they act against institutions set up in an agreed-upon Palestinian autonomy framework.

Environmental Protection Minister Yossi Sarid of the left-wing Meretz bloc demanded that the government make it clear to the settlers that it will not tolerate any civil disobedience.

“If the settlers fire at armed Palestinian policemen,” he said, “the government will act against them, and any show of disobedience will be suppressed immediately.”