Why Would B'tselem Rehash Old Claims?

Why?

To sabotage the upcoming Obama-Netanyahu meeting, embarrass the Israel Prime Minister and to undermine Israel's foreign policy.

That's why.

Simple.

The report? Oh, it's here, it seems, and it claims that

One-fifth of settlements' built-up area is private Palestinian land

Well, that's what Richard Silverstein's site claims -

http://www.richardsilverstein.com/tikun_olam/2010/07/04/btselem-one-fifth-of-west-bank-settlement-buildings-on-privately-owned-palestinian-land/

But he must have jumped the gun because he seems to have removed the uploaded post.

Here's from Google Alerts:

B'Tselem: One-Fifth of West Bank Settlement Buildings on Privately ...
By Richard Silverstein
B'Tselem will be releasing a study on Tuesday (perhaps timing it to coincide with Bibi's meeting with Obama the same day) revealing that fully one-fifth of.

Sloppy of him.

Another claim:

Settlements control 42 percent of West Bank land area

More:

...although the built-up area of the settlements is about one percent of the land area of the West Bank, the municipal jurisdiction of the settlements and their regional councils cover more than 42 percent of the West Bank...

Well, we all know that basic information. Yitzhar's zoned land is larger than Ramat Gan.

More,

Some 66 percent of the settlements' built-up areas are "state land". Allocation of this land for settlements was only possible through a manipulative interpretation of all relevant laws in force in the West Bank.

Wow. But all laws can always be said to be manipulative. B'tselem is seeking headlines, not truth or comprehension of processes.

What is "state land" if not the land intended by international law to become the reconstituted Jewish national home?

For example, in the Mandate decision of the League of Nations:-

ART. 6.

The Administration of Palestine, while ensuring that the rights and position of other sections of the population are not prejudiced, shall facilitate Jewish immigration under suitable conditions and shall encourage, in co-operation with the Jewish agency referred to in Article 4, close settlement by Jews on the land, including State lands and waste lands not required for public purposes.

And just what is "international humanitarian law" as in -

The report also analyzes the illegality of the settlement enterprise under international humanitarian law, and the infringement of Palestinians' human rights that result...

B'tselem informs us that:

A draft of the report was sent to the Ministry of Justice for response. The Ministry's official in charge of human rights and ties with international organizations informed B'Tselem that the state will not respond to the report "in light of its political nature."

And that's correct. This is politicized interpretation, colored by pro-Pal. radical progressive extremism.

Ooops. Did that sound like I was a lefty?

Arutz 7 has it, too and quotes Danny Dayan:

Danny Dayan says this is a distortion of the truth. “Not one Arab has been deprived of his land to build Jewish homes in Judea and Samaria,” he told Arutz-7’s Shimon Cohen. “Unlike in previous settlement enterprises, such as the kibbutzim of several decades ago, when there was no other choice… Since 1974, not one piece of privately-owned Arab land has been confiscated – and those that were, were totally compensated for, either in money or land. And the properties that were thus confiscated and compensated add up to much less than 21% - so that no matter how you slice it, this number is a brazen lie of the kind one can expect B’tselem to disseminate.”

Dayan had even stronger criticism of B’tselem for their purposeful publication of the report precisely as Netanyahu is to meet with Obama. “This is an act of an organization that is hostile to the State of Israel – and B’tselem has become exactly that. It is playing a central role in the campaign to divest Israel of its defensive means… Timing the report in this manner is an act that borders on treason.”

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