In its article “Defense Ministry hires architect to resume construction of illegal West Bank outpost” the Israeli newspaper, Haaretz, reported: 

“The government is stepping up construction in the West Bank settlements and acting to legitimize at least one illegal outpost it has pledged to demolish, Haaretz has learned. The Defense Ministry recently contracted an architect to resume construction of the Givat Sal’it outpost in the Jordan Valley, in what is seen as a step toward legitimizing the outpost. Givat Sal’it is one of 26 communities the Sharon government had promised the United States it would tear down nearly 10 years ago”.

This move comes just after building work started on another new Jordan Valley colony by Abel al Ajaaj in Al Jiftlik. 

Map showing location of Givat Salit settlementGivat Shal’it is right in the north of the Jordan Valley and is closely connected with Mehola settlement, which has also been expanding in recent years.

There is no doubt that the brunt of this decision will be borne by the Palestinian communities who live nearest to the Givat Shal’it outpost, particularly Al Farisiya. This community have faced been harassed and victimised by the Israeli Occupation Forces for years. Just a few months ago, they destroyed animal shelters belonging to Abdullah Ali Johadi, threatening that they would return for him in the night if he didn’t leave the area and go to live in Tubas Town. This has been a repeated pattern in the IOF’s attempts to forcibly displace Palestinians from the Jordan Valley – they destroy their homes, animal shelters, or water tanks, and order them ot leave the area. Just two weeks prior they had conducted their military training on his land, ploughing over his fields of basil with their military tanks and jeeps and destroying his crops.

In April 2008 this community’s access to water was taken away from them, as the area around their spring was declared a ‘closed military area’ and their wate pipes were destroyed. Two years later, having found a way to pump water from a nearby stream, their was pump was confiscated. Then, in the summer of 2010 the majority of the homes were destroyed twice, in the blistering summer heat. On the second occasion the few trees in the area were also destroyed to prevent the people and their animals from being able to shelter from the sun. 

This community have stayed, despite all this. And now face the prospect of the expansion of Givat Shal’it colony. Experience tells us that this will bring with it regular attacks from settlers, even more restrictions of their ability to use the land for grazing their animals.