amona

Right-wing protesters wave Israeli flags as they demonstrate against a ceremony commemorating the Nakba that was held by Palestinian and Israeli students in the entrance to the Tel Aviv University. The event took place under heavy police presence, May 13, 2013. (Photo by: Oren Ziv/Activestills.org)

The redundancy of Israel’s ‘Jewish Nation-State Law’

The Israeli government is pushing a law that would force judges to prioritize Israel’s Jewish character over democratic principles. But that has always been the case. The “Jewish Nation-State Law,” which is currently making its way through the Knesset as a proposed Basic Law – the closest thing Israel has to a constitutional amendment – would require…

By Amjad Iraqi July 12, 2017

A torn Israeli flag seen at the settlement of Gevaot, September 2, 2014. (Miriam Alster/FLASH90)

The true price Israel pays for the occupation

Both the economic and political elite in Israel benefit from the occupation in different ways. The longer the occupation persists, the wider become the gaps between these two ‘1 percents’ and the rest of the country. By Shlomo Swirski What is the cost to Israel of the occupation? And who in Israel is paying it?…

By +972 Magazine May 17, 2017

A Palestinian family sits in the remains of their demolished home in the West Bank village of Umm al-Kheir, April 6, 2016. (Wissam Hashlamon/Flash90)

Pushing Palestinians off their land — by pumping sewage onto it

Not content with ongoing demolitions in Umm al-Kheir and the destruction of its taboun, settlers in nearby Carmel have resorted to piping their waste onto the land belonging to the village. By Yossi Gurvitz, for Yesh Din The usual problem with reporting on what happens in the West Bank is lens width, an essential physical problem: you…

By +972 Magazine March 31, 2017

Latest

A new settlement outpost in Umm Zuka, Jordan Valley. (Nirit Haviv)

Amona Express: Settlers build new outpost in northern West Bank

Settlers build a new outpost in the Jordan Valley, in the shadow of a recent law that retroactively legalizes land theft in the West Bank. By Eli Bitan Israeli settlers have established a new settlement outpost in the Jordan Valley, likely the first since the illegal outpost of Amona was demolished and in the shadow of…

By +972 Magazine February 10, 2017

An Israeli settler cries during evacuation of the illegal outpost of Amona, on the second day into the eviction, February 2, 2017. (Photo by Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Amona’s evacuation is no victory

After over a decade of legal battles, the state was finally forced to evacuate the illegal West Bank outpost of Amona. But that does not mean we should start celebrating any time soon. I’ll admit it: I feel a certain sense of satisfaction watching the evacuation of Amona, the illegal West Bank outpost built on…

By Orly Noy February 2, 2017

On left, Israeli police arrive in the West Bank outpost of Amona unarmed. On the right, police are armed with M16s and sponge-tipped bullets during home demolitions in Umm el-Hiran. (photos by Tovah Lazaroff and Activestills.org)

Compare and contrast: Israel’s evacuation of Jews vs. Arabs

Can you spot the difference? Compare and contrast: When Israel Police came to evacuate the Bedouin village Umm el-Hiran, they arrived at dawn and were armed withM16 assault rifles and black sponge-tipped bullets, the latter they still refuse to admit they used. They also shot several people with sponge-tipped bullets who the police claim were throwing stones.…

By Mairav Zonszein February 1, 2017

View of the West Bank settlement of Amona, June 5, 2012. (Noam Moskowitz/Flash90)

Israel’s disadvantaged live in Amona’s shadow

The government which makes it almost impossible for Palestinian citizens to acquire building permits is the same one that kicked Givat Amal’s residents out of their homes, all while coddling the settlers in Amona. By Yaser Abu Areesha About a week ago I visited a friend who got married earlier this year, a childhood friend who…

By +972 Magazine December 23, 2016

A Bedouin woman looks over her the ruins of her home after Israeli forces demolished the Negev village of Al Araqib, September 12, 2010. (Oren Ziv/Activestills)

Time’s up? State announces imminent demolition of Bedouin village

Authorities will begin demolishing the unrecognized Bedouin village of Umm al-Hiran on Tuesday morning — in order to replace it with a Jewish town. The Israel Land Authority (ILA) announced on Monday that the demolition of Umm al-Hiran, an unrecognized Bedouin village in southern Israel, would begin the next day, following a 13-year legal struggle. The…

By Edo Konrad November 21, 2016

Jewish residents of the illegal outpost Amona, November 17, 2016. (Miriam Alster/Flash90)

What’s an illegal settlement?

The Israeli government is working tirelessly to retroactively legalize over 100 illegal West Bank outposts. They’ll probably get away with it. Is that such a bad thing? The biggest story in Israel this past week — bigger than Trump or Aleppo — was the impending eviction of the illegal settlement outpost of Amona, and parallel efforts…

By Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man November 20, 2016

An Israeli settler throws stones at armed forces in the illegal outpost of Amona, Jan. 1, 2006 (file photo). Clashes broke out shortly after the High Court gave the green light to dismantle half a dozen homes in the area. (Yossi Zamir/Flash90)

The Right’s new spin: Israel demolishes only Jewish homes

In their attempt to prove allegiance to the settlers, right-wing ministers are finding creative new ways of misleading the public. The controversy over the slated evacuation of a West Bank outpost reached a fever pitch this past week, with government ministers trying to outdo each other to prove their allegiance to the 50 families living in…

By Noam Sheizaf November 15, 2016

Israeli policemen clash with Jewish settlers in the illegal outpost of Amona, January 1, 2006. Clashes broke out shortly after the Israeli High Court gave the green light to dismantle half a dozen homes in the outpost. (Nati Shohat/Flash90)

Resource: Fact-checking Israel’s most stubborn illegal outpost

The state will ask the High Court to, once again, delay the demolition of Amona. Here are a few myths surrounding one of the most stubborn outposts in the West Bank. By Yesh Din, written by Yossi Gurvitz In recent months the residents of Amona and right-wing politicians have been waging a campaign designed to…

By +972 Resources October 13, 2016

Israeli settlers attempt to establish a new outpost in response to the killing of two settlers the night before, near the settlement of Itamar, West Bank, October 2, 2015. (photo: Yotam Ronen/Activestills.org)

The right to own property — for Jews alone

The government never authorized the wholesale annexation of the West Bank. That’s why it’s doing it behind everyone’s backs. By Yesh Din, written by Yossi Gurvitz Our previous post on Yesh Din’s new position paper, “From Occupation to Annexation,” explored the various ways the Israeli government implements the Levy Report. This post will focus on another critical…

By +972 Magazine March 4, 2016

Havat Gilad outpost, just south of Nablus. (photo: Yuval Ben-Ami)

Instead of evacuating West Bank outpost, state continues to humiliate itself

One year after it was ordered to remove the illegal outpost of Amona, the government is now claiming that the evacuation has to be postponed, since it ‘may harm the interests of the state.’ We are, after all, negotiating with the Palestinians. By Yesh Din (written by Yossi Gurvitz) Last August, the High Court of…

By +972 Magazine October 18, 2013