The impotence of Israel's Supreme Court

[Jefferson23]

The Israeli left look to the court to stand up for justice, but how can it when the government ignores its rulings?

Last Modified: 27 Apr 2012 15:53

Ramallah, occupied Palestinian territory - The government of Israel legalised three outposts in the West Bank this week, leading the Israeli "left" to sound the alarms of the dying "peace process" and two-state solution. But in fact, they have merely alerted us of their increasing irrelevance to the struggle for Palestinian rights.

Outposts are unauthorised settlements that emerged in the post-Oslo period, when the government - not wishing to appear intransigent - stopped directly approving new Jewish colonies in the West Bank. The Knesset has had no problem expanding existing settlements, and in reality, outposts receive just as much support from governmental ministries as do the authorised settlements. So the official recognition of three outposts - home to 830 people in total - is not a particularly significant "fact on the ground".

But what has really distressed the Israeli left is not just the legalisation of these outposts but the means by which the Netanyahu government went about doing it.

At the beginning of this year, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's coalition government established a special committee to determine the fate of the more than 100 unauthorised settlements - or outposts as they are commonly referred to - in the West Bank.

in full: http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2012/04/201242794549292257.html

[Jefferson23]

1. 2015: A farewell to West Bank outposts?

By 2015, there will be no more Migron. There will be Ramat Migron, Neve Migron, Nofei Migron and Maale Migron.
By Chaim Levinson

n 2015, people will no longer talk about "outposts." There will be no Migron and no Ulpana Hill, no Givat Assaf and no Amona. In 2015, nobody will care. After Migron and Ramat Migron, they will build Neve Migron, Palgei Migron, Nofei Migron, Maale Migron and Tzidei Migron, along with Upper Migron and Lower Migron, and places with all the other generic names for new residential communities.

In 2015, the outpost system will be 20 years old. After the Oslo II interim agreement, when the settlers saw the Oslo II borders had been set based on where communities were located, they began grabbing every hill and mountain. The methods have already been discussed ad infinitum: Every archaeological site, faucet or antenna needs a guard, who needs a partner, who needs a grocery store, which needs an access road for a truck. And repeatedly, ministers on both the right and the left approve another small advance.

It's doubtful whether the settlers understood what a sophisticated strategic move they had invented when they took to the hills. The veteran communities became the legal and legitimate "settlements," where people follow the law, home to normative citizens who strictly observe planning and construction regulations. They deserve assistance. Alongside them are the "outposts" of lawbreakers, who seize land that doesn't belong to them. Thus, several thousand people managed to "launder" the hundreds of thousands in the other communities.

http://www.haaretz.com/weekend/week-s-end/2015-a-farewell-to-west-bank-outposts-1.426845

[Jefferson23]

2. According to legal experts,

snip* the government's request represents a problematic move - breaking the accepted rules for the relationship between the executive and judicial branches - that will put the country in a difficult position.

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/israel-government-petitions-high-court-to-postpone-evacuation-of-west-bank-outpost-1.426879



Legal officials: Israeli government's request to delay West Bank outpost evacuation 'breaks the rules'

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/legal-officials-israeli-government-s-request-to-delay-west-bank-outpost-evacuation-breaks-the-rules-1.426856

[azurnoir]

3. Interesting strategy just dig your heels in and wait

the problem is that the problem will not go away no matter how much self salving of it there is, no matter how much existing treaties are tweaked and loopholed, the odd part is that all of this will lead to one of 2 things a forever occupation or one state both of which we're told the Israeli people do not want

[Jefferson23]

4. I guess he thinks this will have the outcome Israel's citizens will support.

For those that do not support him, they have my sympathy.

[oberliner]

5. Many of those that do not support him support candidates to his right

Be careful what you wish for.

[Jefferson23]

6. I'm not wishing, not what I said at all.

You're lost, again.

[oberliner]

7. Typo in the headline?

Is that supposed to be importance?

Supreme Court has stood in the way and constantly frustrated attempts to circumvent established laws.

[Jefferson23]

8. Nope, no typo..thanks for the kick. n/t

[oberliner]

9. Israel court puts 60-day hold on settlement razings

JERUSALEM (Reuters) -- Israel's Supreme Court postponed the demolition of an outpost settler neighborhood in the West Bank on Sunday, a ruling that gave the government more time to argue against their destruction and placate pro-settler political partners.

http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=480869