PALESTINE

THE HOLY LAND

March 2005
Brief Historical Background
 The Separation Wall
 Length: 786 Km
 Heights: 2.5 – 9 m
 343000 inhabitants will be between
the wall and the green line
 103320 trees already >>>>>>>>
 The wall will use 43.5% from the
West Bank lands
 Impact of Wall

1. Completely surround 100,000

people in 42 towns
2. Reduce the available water supply
by 1 billion gallons
3. Confiscate hundreds of thousands
of acres of land
4. Severely restrict travel to jobs,
hospitals and schools
5. Adversely affect 4 out of 10
Palestinians
The Separation Wall
 The Settlement
 What is a settlement?
Settlements are essentially large housing
projects built illegally by Israel on land
confiscated from Palestinians within the
West Bank, Jerusalem and Gaza Strip.
These settlements are joined to each
other and to Israel through "by-pass"
roads, which are for the exclusive use of
Israelis and which are also built on
privately owned Palestinian land
confiscated by the Israeli government.
Number and Area of Settlements

 There are 205 settlements in the West

Bank (including Jerusalem) and Gaza
Strip.190 are in the West Bank and 19 in
the Gaza Strip.

 Over 74 outposts (habitations built that

are non-contiguous with the established
settlements) were established after the
Oslo Accord.
Number and Area of Settlements

 The Israeli controlled areas

(including settlements, military and
industrial facilities) in the West Bank
occupy 106 Km2 (2.1% of the area
of the West Bank). Palestinian built-
up areas occupy 283 km2 (8.5% of
the area of the West Bank).iii The
total remaining area of the West
Bank, including all borders, is under
complete Israeli security control.
Number and Area of Settlements

 One million Palestinians live on 360

square kilometers of land in the Gaza
Strip, making it the most highly
dense population area in the world.
Despite this fact, 5000 Israeli settlers
continue to reside illegally in the
Gaza strip and control 30% of the
area.
Number and Area of Settlements

 There are more than 403,249 settlers in

the West Bank. 211,788 of these settlers
live in Jerusalem.
 Settlements limit Palestinian access to
natural resources such as water and
agricultural land. This is especially
problematic for the Palestinians since it is
estimated that their population will double
within the West Bank and the Gaza Strip
to five million by the year 2010.x
Number and Area of Settlements

 There are 115 settlements located over water

highly sensitive areas, and 25 settlements over
water sensitive areas.
 Three million Palestinians are allowed to use 250
million cubic meters of water per annum (83
cubic meters for each Palestinian per year) while
six million Israelis enjoy the use of 2.0 billion
cubic meters (333 cubic meter for each Israeli
per year), which means that one Israeli
consumes as much water as do four Palestinians.
Each Israeli settler is allocated 1450 cubic meters
per year.
 The Settlements

1997

2003

The hill top pictured above is Abu Ghneim mountain. The second picture was taken during the
construction of the Har Homa settlement. Israeli settlements in the Palestinian territories increased 35%
in 2003 even though population growth was just 5.32% over the same period. That is almost 7 times
higher than “natural growth” thereby illustrating the high vacancy rates found in settlements.
No Comments
 Intifada Statistics
 Palestinians Killed : 3798, Children,
749
 Injured : 28530
 Damaged Buildings: 66894
 Reference : PCBS

 Extra Judicial Killings ( Targetted

Killings): 288
 Palestinians who were the target of
an assassination: 181 !!!!
 Imprisonment
 Since 1967, over 600000 palestinians have been held in
Israeli jails for periods ranging from one week to life, over
200 have died while in Israeli jails (Palestine times, no. 83,
May 1998)
 During the first Intifada Israel arrested some 175,000
Palestinians – (Passia)
 Palestinians in custody of Israeli security forces January
2005: 15676
 Detention without trial (Administrative Detention) : 6
January, 2005, 848
 Minors in detention (January 2005): 382
Betselem
Torture: 85% of detainees tortured during interrogation
–
Betselem / Passia
 Expropriation and Destruction of
Land
 Since 1967, Israel (occupation
authorities and settlers) have
expropriated some 79% of the WBGS
territory. (Betselem, Land Grab, Report, May 2002)
 Since 28 Sept 2000, and as of Oct
2003, Israeli forces have raised
……..13% of the total arable land in
Gaza (PCHR Gaza)
Passia
 Demolition of houses
 On 17 February 2005, the Minister of
Defense announced a cessation of punitive
house demolitions. From October 2001
(when house demolitions as punishment
began again after a break of almost four
years) to January 2005, Israel demolished
675 homes in the Occupied Territories as
punishment.
Betselem

3000 houses destroyed by Israeli Army

during current intifada – (Haaretz, 11 Aug, 2003)
 East Jerusalem
Statistics on land expropriation in East
Jerusalem since 1967
 Amount of land taken (in dunams): 23378

 Size of neighborhood (in dunams):22571

 Number of housing units 2002:44610

 Number of residents 2002 : 176647

 Revocation of Residency Rights!!! :6396

Betselem
Movement of Goods and People
 Checkpoints
 Road blocks
 Control Towers
 Physical obstacles
 Forbidden Roads !! – 41 Roads / 700 km WB
 Overtaking military vehicles !!!
 Permits
 Movement between westbank and gaza
 West Bank Resident in Jerusalem Car!!!!
 Closure
 Siege
 Curfew
 Travel – Airport
 Results of Occupation

 Destruction of infra structure

 Lack of information / Market access
 Limited Communications:15 yrs for a
phone line!!!
 Psychological trauma
 Unfair competition – dumping
 Racism and discrimination
 Obstruction of effective institutions
 Under-developed judicial system
 Results on Palestinian population
 Mass scale loss of possessions
 Mass migration and displacement
 Psychological Devastation
 Lack of security
 Dependent economy
 Palestinian Economy
Vs. Israeli Economy
GDP Israel vs. WBG

20000

18000

16000

14000

12000
Income $

10000

8000

6000

4000

2000

0
1968 1976 1980 1985 1990 1995 1997 2000
Years

Israel Palestine
 Elections
 Presidential elections, Seven Candidates:
President Mahmoud Abbas 62%
 Municipalities :

- Phase one : 23rd Dec.2004, 26 villages in

the WB, and ( ) 10 villages in GS
- Phase two: May 2005, 89 locations
- Phase three: Sep.2005,
 PLC : 17 , July, 2005, 128 candidates,
th

Mixed system “Proportional &

Constituencies”
 Palestinian Needs
 Independent, viable Palestinian State
within 1967 borders
 East Jerusalem as the capital of the
Palestinian State
 Fair solution for the Refugees issue
according to UN resolutions
Economic Comparative
Analysis
In the land between the Mediterranean sea and the Jordan river…

Israel Palestine
GDP $117.4 Billion GDP $2.4 Billion
Per Capita $19,500 Per Capita $700
Annual Budget $45.1 Billion Annual Budget $1.2 Billion
UN HDI Rank 22 out of 177 UN HDI Rank 102 out of 177

Unemployment 1 out of 10 Unemployment 1 out of 2

Growth rate -0.8% Growth rate -18%

A Palestinian has to work for 28 years to earn what an Israeli does in one year

Sources: United Nations 2004 Human Development Index (HDI), 2003 CIA World Fact Book.
 Military Comparison

Israel Palestine
Israel continues
Main Battle Tanks – 3,950 0 to maintain tens of
Combat Aircraft – 438 0 thousands of troops
in the West Bank and
Artillery – 1,542 0 Gaza – Israel invaded and
2001 Military Expenditures – $10.1 billion $85 million occupied those areas in
the
Official Active Forces – 167,600 35,000 1967 war
Source: Center for Strategic and International Studies

“We can argue with the Palestinians about who’s to blame; but about who is suffering worse – there is no
argument. They are a destitute nation living in an elaborate prison under the guns of the Israeli army.”
Jerusalem Post Editorial, March 3, 2004