Settler Outpost Method to Seize Land Reaches Israeli Supreme Court
Translated & summarized from Local Call by baba
A controversial settler outpost, termed a "shepherd's farm," has been established near Majd al-Krum, leading to protests and legal action. Minister Orit Strock supports expanding Jewish presence in the Galilee, while local council head Salim Salibi argues the farm violates land use laws. The High Court of Justice is set to hear a petition against a law that legalizes such outposts, which critics claim discriminates and enables illegal construction. The Jewish National Fund's actions on the ground appear to contradict its stated opposition to the law.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- A settler outpost near Majd al-Krum is at the center of a legal battle over land use and settlement expansion.
- Minister Orit Strock supports expanding Jewish settlements in the Galilee, calling the situation a strategic danger.
- The head of Majd al-Krum's local council claims the outpost violates land use laws and master plans.
- The High Court will hear a petition against a law that legalizes existing shepherd's farms built on open land.
- Critics argue the law discriminates against other farmers and enables illegal construction.
- The Jewish National Fund's actions on the ground appear to contradict its stated opposition to the law.
A new settler outpost, referred to as a "shepherd's farm," has been established near the Arab town of Majd al-Krum in the Galilee, sparking controversy and legal challenges. Minister of Settlement Affairs Orit Strock visited the outpost and declared the situation in the Galilee a "strategic danger," vowing to transfer authorities from the Israel Land Authority and the Planning Administration to advance a strategic change. The Jewish National Fund (JNF), which initially enabled the farm's establishment, was compelled to remove the settlers but hundreds of right-wing activists later celebrated there during Sukkot, singing anti-Arab songs under police observation. The JNF plans to relocate the outpost to a nearby site, a move critics argue is part of a strategy to establish more Jewish settlements under the guise of shepherd's farms, effectively serving the right-wing agenda to "Judaize the Galilee."
Salim Salibi, head of the Majd al-Krum Local Council, sent an urgent letter on September 15th to the Israel Land Enforcement and Collections Authority, stating that the JNF was not authorized to allocate the land for a shepherd's farm under the "Law for the Arrangement of Residential Areas in Pasturelands" because most of it is privately owned. Furthermore, national and regional planning schemes designate the area as agricultural land where residential construction is prohibited. The overarching master plan for Majd al-Krum, which has been in development for seven years, designates the area as open space, crucial for the town which lacks parks and gardens.
The controversy coincides with an impending High Court of Justice hearing on Thursday regarding a petition by the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel against the "Law for the Arrangement of Residential Areas in Pasturelands." This law was enacted to legalize dozens of existing shepherd's farms, primarily in the Negev and Galilee, built on open land where residential construction is forbidden. The petitioners argue the law has an improper purpose, as it was designed to legitimize illegal structures for a specific group of Jewish shepherds, violating equality principles by exempting them from fees for using public land.
The Society for the Protection of Nature emphasizes that while grazing herds have agricultural value, they do not inherently protect other assets. They also suggest that strategically located farms could protect rural communities from forest fires and be more economically viable, while avoiding environmental damage from infrastructure development. Despite the JNF's stated opposition to the law in a recent court filing, its actions on the ground in Majd al-Krum contradict this stance. The JNF Chairman, Eyal Ostrovsky, previously stated the organization's role is to expand Jewish settlements and bring more Jews to the Galilee, a sentiment that architect Guy Nardi, housing coordinator at the Sikkuy-Aufoq Association, believes is inappropriate for the Majd al-Krum area.
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