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Source: http://jcpa.org/video/the-bedouin-encampment-of-khan-al-ahmar-violates-the-oslo-accords/
Video: Khan al-Ahmar and the EU's Violation of Signed Agreements
(Institute for Contemporary Affairs-Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs) Amb. Dore Gold - Khan al-Ahmar is a cluster of Bedouin structures located in the Judean Desert to the east of Jerusalem. It is located on public land next to the main route connecting Jerusalem to the Jordan Valley. Route 1 is the highway that will be employed by the Israeli Army to move forces to the front lines in the event of an assault from the east. The Israel Supreme Court has ruled: "There is no dispute that the entire complex was put up in violation of the zoning laws." In the past, the Israel Supreme Court ruled that Jewish families living in illegally constructed dwellings needed to be removed, as was the case in Migron (2012), Amona (2017), and Netiv Ha-Avot (2018). Israel's removal of Khan al-Ahmar is based on Israel's rights as guaranteed by the Oslo Accords. Khan al-Ahmar is located in Area C, where Israel retained both security and civilian authority, including the power to decide matters relating to zoning and planning. The Israeli Civil Administration has proposed moving the residents of Khan al-Ahmar to a site in West Jahlin, a mere 8 km. away from the current site. One of the distressing aspects of the struggle over Khan al-Ahmar is the fact that the reservations about Israeli actions are coming from international organizations and countries who are supposed to know the legal background of this case. Moreover, the 1995 Oslo Accords were signed by the European Union as well as numerous countries that served as witnesses. How can EU institutions condone illegal construction that violates an international agreement to which the EU is a signatory? These actions undermine the very credibility of the EU and its institutions, and their status as an honest broker in any future Middle-East peace process. Amb. Dore Gold, former director general of the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Israeli ambassador to the UN, is president of the Jerusalem Center.