Bethlehem

INTERNATIONAL LAW

"The occupying power shall not deport or transfer parts of its own population into the territories it occupies."

Fourth Geneva Convention Article 174 prohibits the

"extensive destruction and appropriation of property not justified by military necessity and carried out unlawfully and wantonly."

Numbers of Israeli settlers in the Bethlehem District

1967 0

1992 40 430

2004 74 911

UNITED NATIONS

UN Security Council Resolution 446 22 March 1979

"Affirming once more that the Fourth Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War of 12 August 1949 is applicable to the Arab territories occupied by Israel since 1967, including Jerusalem,

"Determines that the policy and practices of Israel in establishing settlements in the Palestinian and other Arab territories occupied since 1967 have no legal validity...

"Calls once more upon Israel, as the occupying Power, to abide scrupulously by the 1949 Fourth Geneva Convention, to rescind its previous measures and to desist from taking any action which would result in changing the legal status and geographical nature and materially affecting the demographic composition of the Arab territories occupied since 1967, including Jerusalem, and, in particular, not to transfer parts of its own civilian population into the occupied Arab territories"

UN Security Council Resolution 452
20 July 1979

"Calls upon the Government and people of Israel to cease, on an urgent basis, the establishment, construction and planning of settlements in the Arab territories occupied since 1967, including Jerusalem."

The Occupation

UN Security Council Resolution 242
22nd November 1967
Emphasised "the inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory by war" and called for "Withdrawal of Israel armed forces from territories occupied in the recent conflict".

Illegal Israeli settlements around Bethlehem

Source: PLO Negotiations Affairs Department
The settler only bypass roads East and South of Bethlehem are enclosed by security fences, effectively creating other ghetto walls

The illegal Har Homa settlement built on Jebal Abu Ghneim Mountain north of Beit Sahour

January 2007 Israel announces that it will expand Har Homa building a further 1000 homes

1967 start of Israeli occupation. They designate Jebal Abu Ghneim a "Green Area" - an area restricted from development in order supposedly to preserve its ecological diversity, in reality to stop the Palestinian land owners from building on it.

March 1997, the Israeli government announced it would build 6,500 Jewish homes, expected to accommodate 30,000-40,000 Israelis, on Jebal Abu Ghneim creating a new settlement, Har Homa.

13 March 1997, UN General Assembly resolution passed by a vote of 130 to 2, the United States and Israel were the only countries to vote against.

Expressing deep concern at the decision of the Government of Israel to initiate new settlement activities in the Jebel Abu Ghneim area... Stressing that such settlements are illegal... Calls upon the Israeli authorities to refrain from all actions or measures, including settlement activities, which alter the facts on the ground

27 March 1997, the United States vetoed a UN Security Council Resolution that included the same words as above. All other members voted for the resolution there were no abstentions. The resolution was proposed by France, Portugal, Sweden and the United Kingdom.

April 1997, UN General Assembly resolution passed by a vote of 130 to 3, the United States, Israel and Micronesia, were the only countries to vote against.

Aware of the commencement, after the adoption of General Assembly resolution 51/223 of 13 March 1997, of construction by Israel, the occupying Power, of a new settlement in Jebel Abu Ghneim to the south of East Jerusalem on 18 March 1997, and of other illegal Israeli actions in Jerusalem and the rest of the Occupied Palestinian Territory,

Noting with regret that the Security Council, at its 3747th meeting, on 7 March 1997, and at its 3756th meeting, on 21 March 1997, twice failed to adopt a resolution on the actions referred to above, as a result of the negative vote of a permanent member of the Council,

Condemns the construction by Israel, the occupying Power, of a new settlement in Jebel Abu Ghneim to the south of occupied East Jerusalem and all other illegal Israeli actions in all the occupied territories;

Reaffirms that all legislative and administrative measures and actions taken by Israel, the occupying Power, that have altered or purported to alter the character, legal status and demographic composition of Jerusalem are null and void and have no validity whatsoever;

Reaffirms also that Israeli settlements in all the territories occupied by Israel since 1967 are illegal and an obstacle to peace;

Demands immediate and full cessation of the construction in Jebel Abu Ghneim and of all other Israeli settlement activities, as well as of all illegal measures and actions in Jerusalem;

Demands also that Israel accept the de jure applicability of the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, of 12 August 1949,1 to all the territories occupied since 1967.