Palestinians Occupy E–1

On 29 November 2012, the UN General Assembly adopted resolution 67/19, reaffirming the Palestinians’ right to self-determination and designating the State of Palestine non-member observer status in the UN. This decision was a pivotal victory in the continued struggle for Palestine’s independence, as it progresses in status from that of a disputed territory to a defined political entity among the community of states.

Despite the wide support for the change, with 138 votes in favor, nine against and 41 abstentions, this new status was met with a strong response from Israel. Within 24 hours of Palestine’s newly acclaimed status, Israel announced it would build 3,000 new housing units in occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank. This type of action is not fully unexpected, as Israel acted with a similar reaction following Palestine successfully joining UNESCO, in November 2011, with the decision was made to accelerate the construction of approximately 2,000 homes throughout the occupied territory.

This latest hindrance to Palestine’s battle for sovereignty has seen the resumed construction of those new 3,000 settler units in the area known as E-1, the juncture between the north and south West Bank. The Israeli construction drive in this area is a clear reaction to the UN recognition of Palestine, as breaking up the contiguity of Palestinian territory will impede the creation of a viable, independent State of Palestinian, increasingly interlaced with Israeli settlements.

More than other colonization activities, the E-1 plans have received sharp criticism from many Israeli loyalists, in particular, the United States, which is one of the few states to consistently back Israel. According to Peace Now, these new settlements will be “lethal for the two state solution” and will most definitely hinder efforts to restart peace talks.

These actions have elicited a new, grassroots response from Palestinian activists in a “nonviolent popular struggle against the Israeli occupation.” On Friday 11 January Palestinian activists occupied E-1 by erecting tents “establishing facts on the ground” to halt construction in the West Bank. This occupation of the E-1 area--which activists refer to as Bab al-Shams (Arabic for “Gate of the Sun”)—represents a tactic used by Jewish settlers who establish colonies by occupying Palestinian land and refuse to leave.

Defying a High Court order, on Sunday, 13 January, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered some 500 Israeli police to forcibly evict the 100 or so Palestinian protesters. Although they were evicted, the peaceful protests of Bab al-Shams have garnered international attention to the rights of the Palestinian people, as well as new criticism of the Israeli government in Israel and abroad.

See photos of the protest and evictions.