The Sasson Report
en.wikipedia.org
Talia Sasson delivering her report during a press conference at the prime minister's office in Jerusalem on March 9, 2005.
An official Israeli government report published on March 8, 2005 has revealed that Israeli state bodies have been secretly diverting millions of dollars to build West Bank settlements which were illegal under Israeli law. The report, commissioned by Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, was headed by the former head of the State Prosecution Criminal Department Talia Sasson. The report details how officials in the ministries of defence and housing and the settlement division of the World Zionist Organization spent millions of dollars from state budgets to support the illegal outposts. Ms Sasson called it a "blatant violation of the law" and said "drastic steps" were needed to rectify the situation. It describes secret cooperation between various ministries and official institutions to consolidate "wildcat" outposts, which settlers began erecting more than a decade ago. Sasson added that the problem is ongoing, saying "the process of outpost expansion is profoundly under way."[8] (http://news.ft.com/cms/s/67ba9b06-8ff9-11d9-9a51-00000e2511c8,stream=FTSynd,s01=2.html).
The report states:
* The housing ministry supplied 400 mobile homes for outposts on private Palestinian land
* The defence ministry approved the positioning of trailers to begin new outposts
* The education ministry paid for nurseries and their teachers
* The energy ministry connected outposts to the electricity grid
* Roads to outposts were paid for with taxpayers' money
The report mentions 150 communities in the West Bank with incomplete or nonexistent permits, but Sasson cautions that this list is not exhaustive, due to the lack of cooperation of some ministries and government offices which, according to her, failed to hand over some important documents. She has recommended that the Housing Ministry be stripped of authority over construction of settlements in the West Bank, and that this power be transferred to the cabinet. Current housing minister Isaac Herzog said following the release of the report that every expense earmarked for the settlements will now need the approval of the ministry's director-general. Up until now, the heads of each department at the ministry have been able to sign off on expenses for various construction and infrastructure matters at the settlements.
The report is seen as potentially embarrassing to the Prime Minister because, when he was foreign minister under Binyamin Netanyahu in 1998, he publicly urged settlers to seize hilltops in order to break up the contiguity of Palestinian areas and prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state (as reported by the BBC), saying: "Let everyone get a move on and take some hilltops! Whatever we take, will be ours, and whatever we don't take, will not be ours!" Settler leaders have rejected criticism of illegality and wrong-doing, protesting that they were participating in officially-sanctioned community planning initiatives. Settler leader Shaul Goldstein said Mr Sharon should be the one to face questioning over the report's findings, adding "It's obvious that the one who sent us in order to protect the roads and land is the prime minister so he should look in the mirror. Mr Sharon has to be questioned - not us." It remains to be seen whether the Prime Minister and other [former and current] government officials will face any legal repercussions for their alleged official involvement in the funding of illegal settlements, as Peace Now [9] (http://www.peacenow.org/shalom/news.asp?rid=0&cid=277) and other groups have called for. According to the Haaretz newspasper, Herzog claimed that "the main responsibility for the building of illegal outposts in recent years falls with my predecessor, Effi Eitam and his director general." He also added that when he took up the position earlier this year, he ordered that no funds be transferred to the illegal outposts, as well as the establishment of a joint Defense Ministry and Prime Minister's Office team to coordinate the budgets for the settlements. Eitam lashed out in reaction to the report and the associated comments, saying that all illegal outposts he had approved during his time in office were approved in coordination with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, had his full backing and were sometimes initiated by him.[10] (http://news.haaretz.co.il/hasen/spages/549577.html) Sasson has recommended criminal investigations against those suspected of involvement.[11] (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4328817.stm)
Deputy Defence Minister Zeev Boim told Israeli Army Radio that the outposts "must be removed", but that the government's plan to withdraw form Gaza had priority over any dismantling of illegal outposts in the West Bank. At a cabinet meeting on March 13, the government restated it's commitment to visiting UN head Kofi Annan to remove illegal outposts, but did not give a timetable. The Roadmap peace plan calls for removal of only those outposts erected since Sharon came to office. The report, however, states many outposts installed before that time are illegal under Israeli law. [12] (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4345413.stm) Palestinian officals reacted angrily to the report. "It is time for the international community to say 'enough' to Israel and work with the same determination as on other matters," said Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei. A US embassy spokesman in Tel Aviv also repeated Washington's longstanding call for Israel to remove the outposts. |
