This is one of the land-grab strategies used by settlers in the West Bank. According to land law in the West Bank, if an agricultural plot has not been cultivated for 3 years, it becomes “state land.” From there, Israel may allocate it to settlers. With or without official authorisation, if settlers move onto this now “public land” and work it for 10 years, it may be allocated to them. For this reason, settlers work hard to prevent Palestinians from accessing their agricultural lands.
And “luckily” for them, the IDF is always there to help. Another land-grab strategy, used alongside the first, involves extending settlements’ “security zones” onto Palestinian agricultural lands. As settlements pop up or expand, so do their “security buffer zones.” These zones, referred to as “sterile” in IDF jargon, are areas near settlements that Palestinians are barred from entering without the IDF’s permission, even when they privately own the land in question.
Working together, settlers and the IDF deprive Palestinians of access to their land, creating the conditions for its eventual takeover.
Explained by Amir Ziv, our Pedagogy Coordinator, on a tour of Masafer Yatta in the West Bank organized by
@cfpeace.