#Palestine / Israel’s Supreme Court orders demolition of illegal settlement construction on Palestinian land near Nabi Aner, 7 years after the case was filed
The case, filed in December 2017 by the head of Ras Karkar village council, two residents of Deir Amar village, and the human rights organizations Yesh Din and Emek Shaveh, challenged the illegal construction and takeover of the Nabi Aner archaeological site.
The site, partially located on Palestinian-owned land near Ramallah, contains significant cultural heritage including springs, a mosque, and ruins of historical structures. Since the early 2000s, Palestinian landowners have experienced severe violence from Israeli settlers, hindering access to the site. Israeli settlers subsequently transformed the area into a recreational site, illegally constructing pools, pathways, and other structures, even boasting about displacing Palestinians.
Despite repeated appeals to authorities, the illegal construction continued. The Israeli government attempted to delay enforcement by citing the “Regularization Law,” but the Supreme Court rejected this argument in 2020. Finally, on December 17, 2024, the court ruled in favor of the petitioners, ordering the demolition of illegal structures within six months and the restoration of the site to its pre-occupation state.
The court emphasized the state's obligation to protect Palestinian property rights and ensure access to heritage sites. The ruling also criticized the government and prosecution for their handling of the case.
Photo: Settlers after they encroached upon the Nabi Aner site, which served to irrigate the lands of the villages of Ras Karkar and Deir Amar. This is part of a widespread phenomenon of “settlement tourism”, which involves taking over Palestinian lands and claiming them to be public goods (while violently denying access to the rightful owners of course).
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