Protest in Judea
Protest in JudeaSusya registrar

Dozens of residents of Yatir and Susya in Judea participated today in a march towards a nearby hill, where Arabs are erecting a school building on state land.

The civil administration has released an order to stop the building immediately, but this has not prevented the Arabs from continuing to build at the site; they simply have timed advances in the building with holidays, when inspections are sparse.

The school comes in addition to four additional sites built illegally by Arabs which surround the Jewish community of Susya. The Har Hevron regional council pointed out the fact that building developments spanning the size of a city inside “Area C” several kilometers from Susya were discovered. Apparently, the quantity of houses already in place there will retroactively cause authorities to allow the building.

Recently, the Susya registrar sent a letter to Central Regional Commander Roni Numa which warned that “of late, systematic and determined building is taking place near Susya and in Area C near Jewish communities.”

The letter noted that “the process is backed by foreign money and Palestinian organizations, and the inaction of the Israeli government is painfully clear.”

At the end of the letter, it is emphasized that “for people who came to the area when it was undeveloped 35 years ago, we will not agree to the continuation of this process. In coming days, we will start patrols manifesting a presence in these areas. In a place where the State doesn’t do what is incumbent upon it, the citizens will do [their work] instead. We request an urgent meeting with you and the district commander concerning the return of quiet to our area.”

Itai Elmaliach, Chairman of the registrar’s office in Susya, said that “Residents are sick and tired of sitting and watching the malignant building creeping across every hilltop. This morning marks a turning point in the struggle; we will no longer enable the quiet that allows for the building [...] Unfortunately, the selective enforcement and management in the field signals to the Arabs that they can continue building unhindered.”

Head of the local council Yohai Damari said: “I emphasize again that the extent of illegal Arab building in our areas will lead us to a point of no return where, God forbid, we could lose control over much State-owned land, as part of the systematic effort of the Arabs to create a continuous Arab belt from Gaza to Judea and Samaria via the Negev Desert, thus choking the State of Israel.”

“Authorities have the tools; without a doubt, we can stop the lawbreakers,” Damari concluded.