False distinction between West Bank settlements and outposts

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I wanted to draw your attention to a letter that ACRI sent to the Committee to Examine the State of Construction in Judea and Samaria (the Levy Committee, as it is called in the Israeli press).This committee was created in late January in the wake of heated public discourse and high profile court cases concerning unauthorized outposts like Migron.

ACRI’s letter highlights the problematic distinction between private land and public land in occupied territory. In the event that a settlement is built on private land, it constitutes a clear violation of international law prohibiting the confiscation of private property. When a settlement is built on public land, it constitutes a violation of the prohibition on the exploitation of resources of the occupied territory for the needs and benefit of the occupying power – a prohibition the High Court has upheld on several occasions. Both types of construction in the territories constitute clear and blatant violations of Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, which concerns the protection of civilians during war.

To read more about this letter - click here
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To download a PDF of the letter - click here.
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The letter was written by the new director of ACRI's Human Rights in the Occupied Territories Department Attorney Tamar Feldman. Attorney Feldman began her career as a legal intern at ACRI in 2006 and recently re-joined us as the Director of the Human Rights in the Occupied Territories Department. She previously directed the Legal Department at Gisha – the Legal Center for Freedom of Movement. Tamar also works on Women's Rights issues through various channels. She is a graduate of Tel Aviv University Law School and has a degree in International Humanitarian Law from New York University.

Thanks,

Libby Lenkinski
Director of International Relations
The Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI)