Sussia to Netanyahu: “Is that egg on your face, or are you just glad to see me?”
Assad Abdi. 26 July 2015.
Today’s Haaretz reported that the Israeli (military administration) “Civil Administration report obtained by Haaretz cites Ottoman deed, may halt planned demolitions in West Bank village of Sussia.”
Sussia has been scheduled for another demolition order this month. Indeed it has been demolished many times before to make way for illegal “Jewish-only” colony, or what they called “settlements” inside the Palestinian territories. An act considered to be illegal under international laws.
International pressure has been mounting on Israel to stop this demolition. From the US to EU, to major media outlets even the infamous and very anti-Palestinian New York Times are highlighting the fate of Sussia.
Is the sudden “discovery” of deed papers showing land belonging to Palestinians a way for Israeli government to not go ahead with this demolition and save face?
Why wasn't this report submitted to the Israeli court at the time when they gave legal order to demolish the village?
Or is it the case that Israeli court actually denied justice -as akways is the case- and forged its own ruling?
Most lands that have been, and still are being confiscated by Israeli government to build Jewish-only settlements in the West Bank are also Palestinian-owned. Deeds to those lands in most cases still exist dating back to the ottoman era. So why this sudden “discovery” now matters?
“According to Meiri, a Civil Administration officer responsible for land administration in the West Bank, the Ottoman deed is indeed valid. The same type of deed has also been mentioned by the State Prosecutor’s Office, which has ruled on the borders of various settlements.” Haaretz reported.
Sussia has been on the international main-stage and so far proven to be a PR disaster to Netanyahu’s government. “The Civil Administration’s announcement led to pressure from both the U.S. government and the European Union in Brussels. The Americans warned Israel that demolishing the village would have severe ramifications, and the Europeans called for Jerusalem to cancel the “transfer” of Sussia residents. The Civil Administration ultimately backed down from its intention to carry out the demolition after Id al-Fitr.” Haaretz 26 July.
The next few days or weeks will tell, but regardless of what may happen in Sussia, the Israeli attempts to “Judaizing” the West Bank is going full steam.
Sussia may be saved for now. But as Amira Hass, Haaretz (21 July), said “..if Sussia is destroyed (again), perish the thought, that will not be a new standard. Even if we start counting from 20 years ago, Israel had already set the standard for uprooting and destroying Palestinian communities in the West Bank — at the height of the “peace process.” … Whether or not Sussia is saved from destruction, Israeli bulldozers will continue their work on others.”
