Havat Gilad
Encyclopedia
Havat Gilad is an Israeli settlement
outpost in the West Bank
, beyond the jurisdiction of the Shomron Regional Council
. It was established in 2002 in memory of Gilad Zar, security coordinator of the Shomron Regional Council, who was shot and killed in 2001. It is considered an un-authorized outpost by the Israeli government and is on a list of outposts that Israel promised the U.S. to dismantle. The outpost was dismantled several times but settlers have returned and re-established it. The international community considers Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal under international law
, but the Israeli government disputes this. Havat Gilad has been “adopted” by the far right kahanist
U.S. organization B'nai Elim.
Havat Gilad is located on land allegedly privately owned by Moshe Zar
, a religious Zionist
and longtime friend of former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon
. In 1984 he was convicted of membership in the Jewish Underground of the early 1980s, and sentenced to three years in prison for his part in the assassination of Palestinian mayors. He has been buying land in the West Bank from individual Palestinians since 1979. A number of Palestinians have taken him to court on claims that he falsified contracts. After his son Gilad was killed, he vowed that he would establish six settlements in his son′s memory, one for each Hebrew letter of his name.
There have been a number violent incidents involving Havat Gilad settlers. On October 16, 2002, journalists covering a so called “quiet” evacuation at the outpost, were attacked by settlers, on Octobre 19, 2002, a Shabbath, when the outpost was forcibly evacuated and all its buildings were razed by the Israel Defense Forces
for the first time, about 1,000 settlers, trying to prevent the dismantling of the outpost, clashed with soldiers and police. During the two days of confrontations 46 policemen and dozens of male and female soldiers and settlers were lightly injured. Fifteen people were arrested, but were released a few days later. Some of the settlers were back at the outpost the next day and erected temporary structures which were dismatled a week later, but the settlers were back on the site after a few hours. In November, security forces decided to file charges against twelve of the protestors. In 2004, police arrested one settler, after armed settlers from the outpost had opened fire on shepherds from a nearby Palestinian village. In March 2009, five residents of the outpost were briefly arrested on suspicion of throwing stones at police, when security forces attempted to evacuate the site. In September of the same year, settlers and security forces clashed following an attempt by security forces to confiscate a truck which was supposedly used to illegally transport a mobile home to the site, leading to four arrests. In October 2010 Havat Gilad settlers set fire to olive trees belonging to Palestinian farmers of the village of Farata.
On February 28, 2011, Civil Authority forces escorted by police officers arrived in the settlement to demolish several illegal structures. Violent clashes erupted when settlers threw rocks at police, who responded with tear gas, stun grenades, and rubber bullets, injuring 15 settlers. Eight settlers were arrested, five for carrying concealing weapons, one for stone-throwing, and two for cutting down Palestinian olive trees. The demolition of the outpost led to further protests and violence among Israeli rightists, Seventeen pro-settlement protesters, seven of whom minors, were charged with disturbing the peace, attacking police and damaging police vehicles. A week after the demolition, the destroyed structures were being rebuilt, and the settlers were said to plan to build several new homes in addition to the ones that were demolished, as an act of protest. However, the government pledged to demolish the new buildings by the end of the year.
Israeli settlement
An Israeli settlement is a Jewish civilian community built on land that was captured by Israel from Jordan, Egypt, and Syria during the 1967 Six-Day War and is considered occupied territory by the international community. Such settlements currently exist in the West Bank...
outpost in the West Bank
West Bank
The West Bank ) of the Jordan River is the landlocked geographical eastern part of the Palestinian territories located in Western Asia. To the west, north, and south, the West Bank shares borders with the state of Israel. To the east, across the Jordan River, lies the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan...
, beyond the jurisdiction of the Shomron Regional Council
Shomron Regional Council
The Shomron Regional Council is a regional council in the northern Samarian hills, in the northern part of the West Bank. The offices of the regional council are located in the Barkan Industrial Park. This regional council provides various municipal services for the 30 Israeli settlements within...
. It was established in 2002 in memory of Gilad Zar, security coordinator of the Shomron Regional Council, who was shot and killed in 2001. It is considered an un-authorized outpost by the Israeli government and is on a list of outposts that Israel promised the U.S. to dismantle. The outpost was dismantled several times but settlers have returned and re-established it. The international community considers Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal under international law
International law and Israeli settlements
The international community considers the establishment of Israeli settlements in the Israeli-occupied territories illegal under international law, but Israel maintains that they are consistent with international law because it does not agree that the Fourth Geneva Convention applies to the...
, but the Israeli government disputes this. Havat Gilad has been “adopted” by the far right kahanist
Meir Kahane
Martin David Kahane , also known as Meir Kahane , was an American-Israeli rabbi and ultra-nationalist writer and political figure. He was an ordained Orthodox rabbi and later served as a member of the Israeli Knesset...
U.S. organization B'nai Elim.
Havat Gilad is located on land allegedly privately owned by Moshe Zar
Moshe Zar
Moshe Zar is a religious Zionist, a former member of the terrorist organization "Jewish Underground" and Israeli settler leader in the northern West Bank, described by the New York Times as "Wild West-style vigilante mayor of his stretch of the West Bank, inspiring awe among many of the Jews there...
, a religious Zionist
Religious Zionism
Religious Zionism is an ideology that combines Zionism and Jewish religious faith...
and longtime friend of former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon
Ariel Sharon
Ariel Sharon is an Israeli statesman and retired general, who served as Israel’s 11th Prime Minister. He has been in a permanent vegetative state since suffering a stroke on 4 January 2006....
. In 1984 he was convicted of membership in the Jewish Underground of the early 1980s, and sentenced to three years in prison for his part in the assassination of Palestinian mayors. He has been buying land in the West Bank from individual Palestinians since 1979. A number of Palestinians have taken him to court on claims that he falsified contracts. After his son Gilad was killed, he vowed that he would establish six settlements in his son′s memory, one for each Hebrew letter of his name.
There have been a number violent incidents involving Havat Gilad settlers. On October 16, 2002, journalists covering a so called “quiet” evacuation at the outpost, were attacked by settlers, on Octobre 19, 2002, a Shabbath, when the outpost was forcibly evacuated and all its buildings were razed by the Israel Defense Forces
Israel Defense Forces
The Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...
for the first time, about 1,000 settlers, trying to prevent the dismantling of the outpost, clashed with soldiers and police. During the two days of confrontations 46 policemen and dozens of male and female soldiers and settlers were lightly injured. Fifteen people were arrested, but were released a few days later. Some of the settlers were back at the outpost the next day and erected temporary structures which were dismatled a week later, but the settlers were back on the site after a few hours. In November, security forces decided to file charges against twelve of the protestors. In 2004, police arrested one settler, after armed settlers from the outpost had opened fire on shepherds from a nearby Palestinian village. In March 2009, five residents of the outpost were briefly arrested on suspicion of throwing stones at police, when security forces attempted to evacuate the site. In September of the same year, settlers and security forces clashed following an attempt by security forces to confiscate a truck which was supposedly used to illegally transport a mobile home to the site, leading to four arrests. In October 2010 Havat Gilad settlers set fire to olive trees belonging to Palestinian farmers of the village of Farata.
On February 28, 2011, Civil Authority forces escorted by police officers arrived in the settlement to demolish several illegal structures. Violent clashes erupted when settlers threw rocks at police, who responded with tear gas, stun grenades, and rubber bullets, injuring 15 settlers. Eight settlers were arrested, five for carrying concealing weapons, one for stone-throwing, and two for cutting down Palestinian olive trees. The demolition of the outpost led to further protests and violence among Israeli rightists, Seventeen pro-settlement protesters, seven of whom minors, were charged with disturbing the peace, attacking police and damaging police vehicles. A week after the demolition, the destroyed structures were being rebuilt, and the settlers were said to plan to build several new homes in addition to the ones that were demolished, as an act of protest. However, the government pledged to demolish the new buildings by the end of the year.