Israeli Colonization of Palestinian Land Continues...

international | rights, freedoms and repression | news report Tuesday August 24, 2004 19:27 by David C.

Israeli officials today announced building permits for another 633 houses on occupied Palestinian land. The American administration, abandoning all pretence of impartiality and in clear violation of the principles of the so-called 'roadmap for peace', have quietly approved of the expansion.

These 633 new houses are in addition to the 1001 colonist houses announced last week, and are situated mainly in the Adam and Emmanuel colonies in the West Bank. The rate at which Israel is colonizing occupied Palestinian land is increasing. In 2003 there were 908 colonist houses constructed, and in 2002 there were 647. These new colonial 'facts on the ground' have already been used by the Israelis and by the American administration as justification for a future 'annexation' of land from Palestinian areas.

This quiet, incessant and persistent theft of land continues to go relatively unnoticed in the western world's media. The EU continues to trade with Israel - even to offer preferential terms to Israeli goods - and EU countries continue to maintain academic, sporting and other cultural ties with Israel. Ireland continues to maintain diplomatic relations with Israel and does not express official disaproval of Israels colonization efforts.

Meanwhile the plight of almost 5 million Palestinians in their ever-shrinking homeland becomes more desperate. Israel has succeeded in destroying most of the infrastructure and government functions painstakingly established during the 1990's, and has hindered and suppressed attempts by governments and NGO's to aid the Palestinians.