Israel 'hides settlements data'

[Rainbow]

The Israeli defence ministry has concealed information about the extent of illegal settlement-building in the West Bank, a leading newspaper reports.
A classified database of construction compiled by the ministry was leaked to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz.
It suggests most construction took place without the right permits, and more than 30 settlements were built in part on land owned by Palestinians.
Settlements are a contentious issue in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The defence ministry has not commented on the report, which appears to contradict Israel's official position that it does not requisition private land for settlements.
The internationally-backed "road map" peace plan also calls on Israel to halt all settlement activity.

Publication 'blocked'
The database - compiled over about two years - was leaked to Haaretz by the Israeli human rights group Yesh Din.
It focuses not only on some 100 unauthorised settler outposts, but also on about 120 settlements officially authorised since Israel captured the territory in the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. An analysis of the data shows a big majority - about 75% - of construction in settlements was carried out without the right permit or in contravention of permits issued, Haaretz reported.
In more than 30 settlements, buildings including schools, synagogues and police stations, had been built on private Palestinian land.
The newspaper said Defence Minister Ehud Barak blocked publication of the data, arguing it could endanger state security or harm Israel's foreign relations.
Yesh Din told the BBC the report showed that the Israeli government ignored its own distinction between settlements considered legal under Israeli law, and illegal outposts built on privately owned land.
The group said it would use the information to help Palestinians sue Israel for damages.

Mitchell visit
The Haaretz article comes in the same week as the visit of the new US envoy to the Middle East, George Mitchell.
In 2001 he released a report which called on Israel to freeze settlement building.
Earlier this week Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was quoted in another newspaper as saying he had offered in talks with the Palestinians to remove 60,000 settlers from the West Bank.
Haaretz says the right-wing opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed not to be tied to any pledges to withdraw settlers.


Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7861076.stm

[tagnostic]

is that all from 01?
or up to today?
i need to google
a map of this
and do a sat
google map
as far back as
possible

[Rainbow]

Ive added the source.

Thats from 1967.

I dont think google earth existed back then :P

[tagnostic]

no, but i can get some fairly recent stuff,
i'm trying to figure out who's building where,
gonna have to surf some more in a bit
:icon_confused:

[Rainbow]

Too bad the internet conx here sux, or i would have done the same thing.

[tagnostic]

i'm seeing a lot of population growth between the 1974 cease fire line
and the alpha line especially towards the Golan heights, it doesn't however
show if their Jewish, Palestinian or what, there is also a steady but less
industrial growth paralleling on the opposite sides of the lines,
it would appear that where the industrial population grows there is a
correlating pastoral/agricultural growth on the Lebonese side, doesn't look
detrimental, as long as yall quit shooting at each other.
don't get me wrong, we kill each other for stupid shit too, more people
die in la for wearing the wrong colored bandanna in a week than yall do
in the current crisis, but it's just as stupid
as long as it's about ideology and not personal, it's going to be that way
jmho

[tagnostic]

double post

i did the sat map all around Israel and it would appear that the only direction that's getting settled is towards Lebanon, not Jordan, Syria or
Egypt, why is that?
Jordan looks empty on the border and seems the more likely place,
just wondering..


ps, some fantastic historical sites there, got sucked into surfing some of the crusader castles and Byblos is freaking wild

[Rainbow]

i'm seeing a lot of population growth between the 1974 cease fire line
and the alpha line especially towards the Golan heights, it doesn't however
show if their Jewish, Palestinian or what, there is also a steady but less
industrial growth paralleling on the opposite sides of the lines,
it would appear that where the industrial population grows there is a
correlating pastoral/agricultural growth on the Lebonese side, doesn't look
detrimental, as long as yall quit shooting at each other.
don't get me wrong, we kill each other for stupid shit too, more people
die in la for wearing the wrong colored bandanna in a week than yall do
in the current crisis, but it's just as stupid
as long as it's about ideology and not personal, it's going to be that way
jmho

The south of Lebanon consists of large farm lands, your observation is quite valid.

I repeat the conflict here was never about religion. Was never about muslims vs jews. It was always about our land being taken by force from us.

double post

i did the sat map all around Israel and it would appear that the only direction that's getting settled is towards Lebanon, not Jordan, Syria or
Egypt, why is that?
Jordan looks empty on the border and seems the more likely place,
just wondering..


ps, some fantastic historical sites there, got sucked into surfing some of the crusader castles and Byblos is freaking wild

Because in the direction of Lebanon the lands are more fertile and the area is farther away from the desert. Plus a slightly heavier supply of water exists, but not to the extent present in the south of Lebanon...Israel stealing water from lebanon via pumps will be discussed later on.

Yeah Byblos is great, head north west to the Beqqaa valley and locate the city of Baalbek(where im from :P), you can see the immense Temple Of Jupiter in the city. Baalbek is a largely shiaa city. 30 kilometres south of it, youll find a city called Zahle, a predominantly christian city, the largest in the beqaa. It is cituated along the ramps of the mountain.

[tagnostic]

going to check it out,
cool,
just what i need,
more reasons to surf