Knesset Members were surprised Sunday to learn that the Red Cross was involved in negotiating on behalf of the Palestinian Authority (PA) regarding disputed land. The matter came to light during a meeting of a Foreign Affairs and Defense subcommittee.
The meeting was called by MKs Aryeh Eldad and Michael Ben-Ari of the National Union to discuss recent clashes in the Israeli community of Givat Harel, located in the Binyamin region north of Jerusalem.
Residents of Givat Harel clashed with Palestinian Authority Arabs who sought to enter the town. The Arabs were backed by the IDF Civil Administration.
MKs heard that the Civil Administration had agreed to let PA Arabs enter Givat Harel in order to farm land within its borders. The decision was made following a meeting with Red Cross officials.
Shockingly, MKs heard that the Civil Administration had not thoroughly investigated the ownership of the property before allowing Arabs to enter.
“This is harassment of the residents [of Givat Harel],” Ben-Ari accused. “One gets the impression that the Civil Administration has started representing the enemy. Instead of being an objective body, they are taking the approach of blaming the Jews first, and only afterwards clarifying the matter.”
Subcommittee head MK Zev Elkin ordered the Civil Administration and the Foreign Ministry to explain why the Red Cross was involved in disputing land ownership. In addition, Civil Administration officials promised to clarify the legal status of the land before allowing PA Arabs to enter.