Mitzpe Yair

Mitzpe Yair
Mitzpe Yair is located in the Southern West Bank
Mitzpe Yair
Mitzpe Yair
Coordinates: 31°23′04″N 35°08′04″E / 31.38444°N 35.13444°E / 31.38444; 35.13444
DistrictJudea and Samaria Area
CouncilHar Hebron
RegionWest Bank
FoundedOctober 1998
Founded byMeir Am-Shalem

Mitzpe Yair (Hebrew: מצפה יאיר, lit. 'Yair Lookout') is an unauthorized Israeli settlement in the West Bank. Located two kilometres south-east of Susya, it falls under the jurisdiction of Har Hebron Regional Council. It consists of 15 prefabricated structures, and is home for several families.[when?]

History

Mitzpe Yair was established by Meir Am-Shalem in October 1998, and, according to Gideon Levy, was a price tag operation set up as Magen David Farm in retribution for the murder of a Susya settler, Yair Har-Sinai, after whom it was subsequently renamed.[1]

Mitzpe Yair is an unauthorized settlement that is regarded as illegal by the Israeli regional administration.[2] In 2007 Peace Now revealed that a police superintendent was residing there despite its illegal status. The officer was ordered to evacuate his house by July that year.[3]

The international community considers all Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal under international law, but the Israeli government disputes this[4] in regard to those settlements who do have state authorization.

A vineyard in a wadi, planted on privately owned Palestinian land, and run by Elad Movshoviz, produces 7,000 bottles per annum. A legal case on the ownership of the area was, as of 2012, pending before the Israeli High Court of Justice.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b Gideon Levi, 'Not sacred, not stolen', at Haaretz, 7 September 2012
  2. ^ Tovah Lazaroff, Yaakov Lappin, 'South Hebron Hills land dispute turns violent', Jerusalem Post 05/09/2008[permanent dead link‍] 'this had not stopped seven or eight families from placing caravans on the land to create the small Mitzpe Yair outpost . . Those caravans' placement has been deemed by the Civil Administration of Judea and Samaria to be illegal and there are enforcement proceedings under way against them.'
  3. ^ Weiss, Efrat (2007-01-01). "Israeli police officer living in illegal outpost". YNET.
  4. ^ "The Geneva Convention". BBC News. 10 December 2009. Retrieved 27 November 2010.