Khan Al Ahmar: The implementation of the ‘ultimate deal’
Executive Summary:
Israeli occupation forces declared the Khan Al-Ahmar community a closed military zone before it is demolished in preparation for a Jewish settlement to be built in its place. The area is situated in the West Bank, in between the major settlement of Kfar Adumim in East Jerusalem. However, despite numerous international calls for restraint, and demands that Israel halts the scheduled proceedings, Israel appears likely to press on. Such a move would consolidate the notion derived from Trumps’ ‘deal of the century’ proposal, in which the Palestinian quest for statehood is unobtainable, and Israel’s stringent occupation will be extended.
Analysis:
The inhabitants of Khan Al-Ahmar have been protesting the implementation of Israel’s illegal settlements for several weeks now. Up to 35 of those protestors were injured, and 4 were hospitalised (Deger, 2018). However, that did not stop the introduction of the Israeli bulldozers into the area, as the destruction of the village becomes one-step closer to reality. In fact, the Israeli army already demolished sheds and residential structures of the Abu-Nuwwar community in preparation for the demolition of Khan Al-Ahmar.
The small village is home to a close-knit community of 181 inhabitants, who have been residing there for over 50 years, and which approximately 90 are children. Thus when Israel advances with its interests, the ramifications will be severe, as it will be an obliteration of an entire community, its livelihood, schools, homes and identities.
Furthermore, the move will likely mean that several children will be without access to education, and residents will be forcibly displaced, which several institutions have asserted breaks international and human rights law. It is for this reason that many of the inhabitants classify this move by Israel as ‘the new Nakba’ (Ziv, 2018).
Correspondingly, the eradication of a Palestinian village and introduction of illegal Israeli settlers comes at a time when Trump’s senior advisor Jared Kushner and the Middle East peace envoy Jason Greenblatt, just concluded a trip to the Middle East. The purpose was to to lay the foundation of the ‘deal of the century’. Yet the events that have taken place immediately after, demonstrates the dynamic of the deal, which is overwhelmingly in favour of Israel’s right wing faction.
In this alleged historic deal, Jerusalem is off the negotiating table, no settlers are to be removed from the West Bank, there is no right of return for the refugees and Palestinians will be provided with an entity, less than a state, in Gaza and meagre parts of the West Bank. All of which fail to meet the basic demands of the Palestinians (Goldenberg, 2018).
Hence, the deal is just a disguise for the continuation of the occupation, and the scenario in Khan Al-Ahmar reinforces that. The expulsion of the inhabitants of the village, human rights groups say, would create a bigger settlement pocket near Jerusalem and make it more difficult for Palestinians to achieve territorial contiguity in the West Bank, a territory they seek along with the Gaza Strip for a future state (Sawafta, 2018). Indeed, the intended actions of Israel represent a level of ethnic cleansing that is not usually associated with a democratic state.
Additionally, experts suggest that the citizens of Khan Al-Ahmar will be forcibly relocated to an area adjacent to a landfill, in the village of Abu Dis. Such a move would effectively cut the West Bank in two (Deger, 2018), and strengthen Israel’s control in the already occupied territories because the village falls under the category of Area C in the occupied West Bank, which Israel possess total administrative and military control over.
This is emphasised by suggestions that the move will isolate East Jerusalem from Palestinian communities in the West Bank, as well as to cut off the southern and northern West Bank, forcing Palestinians to make even lengthier detours to travel from one place to another (Sawafta, 2018).
Therefore, the issue of Khan al-Ahmar illustrates Israel’s objective of widespread and systematic forcible displacement of Palestinians and replacement with Israeli settlers, as part of Israel’s broader scheme of creeping annexation.
Ultimately, Israel has been able to operate in such a manner because of the enabling role the Trump administration has played by virtue of granting Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and essentially ending the peace process.
Notwithstanding, there has been firm global condemnation of Israel’s proposed actions. In a statement posted on Twitter, the office of Nikolay Mladenov, the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, said that the proposed demolition was contrary to international law and urged Israel to stop (Oborne, 2018)
Likewise, The European Union also chastised Israel’s actions in a statement that stipulated that Israel’s prospective plans to build more illegal settlements in the same area undermined hopes for a two-state solution and viable peace.
They contended that ‘In line with our long-standing position on Israel’s settlement policy, illegal under international law, and actions taken in that context, such as forced transfers, evictions, demolitions and confiscations of homes, the EU expects the Israeli authorities to reverse these decisions and fully meet its obligations as an occupying power under International Humanitarian Law’ (Oborne, 2018).
In addition, the issue was raised in the House of Commons on the 4th of July, by virtue of an urgent question granted to MP Richard Burden, to Minister of State Alistair Burt, and demanded a statement from the minister regarding the predicament of Khan Al Ahmar, and what will be done about the forcible displacement of several Palestinians.
Demands were made from an abundance of MP’s that the British government formally recognise the state of Palestine, unite with European countries and institutions and impose economic sanctions on Israel in order to put a stop to the illegal settlements in the West Bank, as such actions continue to jeopardize the likelihood of a Palestinian state.
However, international pressure has never prevented Israel from proceeding with its plans, and observers suggest that will not change now, especially in light of the European diplomats who came to pay a solidarity visit to the village, but were barred from entering. Hence, despite the Supreme Court ordering a pause of the demolition, it is yet to be seen whether it is a case of delaying the inevitable, or whether international pressure has worked.
Conclusion:
When the Trump administration handed Jerusalem over to Israel, it provided them with their most coveted prize and in the process terminated any hopes of a Palestinian state, whilst concurrently enabling them to maintain their occupation. In fact, the symptoms are represented clearly in Khan Al-Ahmar. Forceful displacement, obliteration of homes, violations of Palestinian human rights and international law, and razing of identities. Its business as usual for Israel and the US has enabled it.
Bibliography
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Available at: http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/palestinians-fear-demolition-bedouin-village-khan-al-ahmar-imminent-1901355710
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Sawafta, A., 2018. Reuters. [Online]
Available at: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-israel-palestinians-bedouin/protests-erupt-at-bedouin-village-israel-plans-to-demolish-idUSKBN1JU1RN
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Available at: https://972mag.com/we-arent-going-anywhere-how-one-palestinian-village-prepares-for-the-worst/136535/
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