Mitzpe Hagit

Mitzpe Hagit (Hebrew: מצפה חגית‎, lit. Hagit Lookout) is an Israeli outpost in the West Bank. Located near the settlement of Kfar Adumim, it falls under the jurisdiction of the Mateh Binyamin Regional Council. It is home to around 25 families.

Mitzpe Hagit

מצפה חגית‎
Mitzpe Hagit
Coordinates: 31°51′5″N 35°20′17″E
DistrictJudea and Samaria Area
CouncilMateh Binyamin
RegionWest Bank
Founded1999
Founded byKfar Adumim residents

The outpost was established in 1999 by families from Kfar Adumim, and was named after Hagit Zavitsky, a settler from Kfar Adumim who was killed in Wadi Qelt in 1997.

The international community considers Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal under international law, but the Israeli government disputes this.[1]

History

Mitzpe Hagit was founded in early 1999. It began with only two wooden caravans on a hill 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) from Kfar Adumim.[2] On October 12, 1999, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak announced that Mitzpe Hagit was one of 15 outposts in the West Bank that he planned to have dismantled, on the recommendation of the Israeli Defense Ministry. Barak gave the residents 14 hours to appeal.[3]

In November 1999, Pinhas Wallerstein, head of the Mateh Binyamin Regional Council, said that residents of Mitzpe Hagit would voluntarily leave the site until the outpost was officially authorized by the Israeli government.[4]

By the end of December 1999 Mitzpe Hagit had been removed. Peace Now issued a report claiming that the Israeli government had approved new caravans there and in other dismantled outposts. The organization stated that this "testified to the continuation of under-the-table doings in everything linked to building in the settlements."[5]

Ephraim Sneh, Deputy Defense Minister at the time, said that his office was not planning to approve any building permits and that "[Neveh] Erez[6] and Hagit were removed; they can submit plans to build but it doesn't mean anything. Therefore the movement shouldn't confuse the public."[5]

By October 2000 settlers had returned to Mitzpe Hagit.[7] There were again two caravans and the population was 8 adults and 4 children. Shimon and Chaya Ben Dor, who had been among the original founders,[2] claimed that their return had the approval of Ehud Barak. Israeli officials, though, were unsure if this was true.[7]

References
  1. "The Geneva Convention". BBC News. 10 December 2009. Retrieved 27 November 2010.
  2. Avi Machlis (April 29, 1999). "Joining the dots on the map puts an Israeli stranglehold on the West Bank". Financial Times. p. 10. Retrieved August 24, 2012.
  3. Margot Dudkevitch; Lamia Lahoud (October 13, 1999). "Barak: 15 outposts to be dismantled". Jerusalem Post. p. 1. Retrieved August 24, 2012.
  4. Margot Dudkevitch (November 2, 1999). "More trailers removed from encampments". Jerusalem Post. p. 3. Retrieved August 24, 2012.
  5. Margot Dudkevitch (December 28, 1999). "Sneh raps Peace Now report". Jerusalem Post. p. 2. Retrieved August 24, 2012.
  6. Neveh Erez
  7. Michael Scott-Joynt (October 25, 2000). "Settlers' return feeds fire of Arab rage: Middle East conflict Exploiting the disarray of Israeli politicians, an incendiary land claim is reasserted". The Guardian. p. 22. Retrieved August 24, 2012.
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