Today, we published “The Lawless Zone” report, which deals with Civilian Security Coordinators in settlements (Ravshatzim) and the way in which they influence the IDF’s conduct and serve the interests of the settlers in the West Bank.
What is a security coordinator? In most cases, the position is filled by a member of the settlement who holds quasi-military powers in several fields of law enforcement. It is hard to miss the structural conflict of interests that this position holds – the power originally granted to the security coordinator with the goal of encouraging law enforcement and security is often used in practice as an instrument for expanding the area of the settlement or outpost and for breaking the law. Not to mention the fact that the security coordinator receives his salary from the defense ministry and the weapon from the IDF.
Read “A Constant Conflict of Interest” to understand more about the problematic role of the security coordinator –> http://bit.ly/ConflictofInterest
Read the full report: The Lawless Zone –> http://bit.ly/LawlessZone . . .
It is good that Yesh Din has documented this thoroughly, but on the other hand, this is not really “news” in the sense that it is not new, nor was it unknown by people who are concerned with these issues. And it is the type of post that makes me wonder, what do Partners supporters actually know, reminiscent of the post a few months saying that Partners was seeking to learn more about the blockade of Gaza.
On the report’s content, I must note that the Yesh Din report includes some verbal/legal/moral gymnastics. Check this out:
“The transfer of policing and law enforcement powers to an ideological interest group has
a particularly pernicious impact when it takes place in an occupied territory, in which
the settlements themselves were established in gross violation of international law and
entail the usurping of land on a massive and protracted basis. The granting of such
sweeping powers to an interest group that openly and declaratively rejects the provisions
of international law is indicative of the chaos that characterizes the official Israeli attitude
toward law enforcement in the West Bank.”
So the Israeli army is not an interest group in the Occupied Territories, but rather some kind of neutral party? And the Israeli army that kills Palestinians with impunity and collaborates in the settlement project respects international law? I’m actually surprised that Yesh Din would employ this type of language, and I hope that they have done so out of (inappropriate) political calculation and don’t actually believe what they’ve written.
Ted