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Last update - 09:36 15/01/2008 Settler group refuses to vacate land slated for school for the disabled By Or Kashti and Meron Rapoport, Haaretz Correspondents Tags: JNF, Jerusalem, settlers  The right-wing Elad settlement organization is refusing to vacate an area in the Jerusalem Peace Forest that had been promised to the special education organization Hadvir Hahadash. The Jewish National Fund signed an agreement in 2004 with Hadvir, which wants to build a boarding school for young people over 21 with profound developmental disabilities, but has since avoided ratifying the deal. Elad, which aims to settle Jews in East Jerusalem, has been very active in recent years in the Peace Forest, located between Abu Tor and the Armon Hanatziv neighborhood. The group operates tours from the forest to various East Jerusalem sites, and conducts archaeological activity there in cooperation with the Israel Antiquities Authority. Advertisement "Now I understand how a settlement gets established," says the director of Hadvir Hahadash, Lia Natan-Martziano. "Elad erects a shack and then another shack, while eyes are averted and the various authorities provide support." Under its agreement with the JNF, Hadvir was to get five dunams of land in the Peace Forest. However, the contract stipulated that if all the requisite permits were not obtained by the end of 2004, Elad would be allowed to rent the area for one year from the JNF. Since then, the rental agreement has been renewed annually. According to Natan-Martziano, "our agreement with the JNF explicitly states that Elad is operating in the Peace Forest temporarily, and is not allowed to interfere with our developing the area. But in practice, Elad has refused to let us bring in donors or a surveyor, as part of obtaining the permits." About a year ago, Hadvir was preparing to sign an agreement with the Israel Lands Administration, after receiving permission from the Social Affairs Ministry to open the boarding school's first house, and after raising the necessary funds through donations. ILA sought confirmation from JNF that the contract with Hadvir was valid. Since then, say sources familiar with the case, "the JNF has procrastinated on handling this simple request in a bid to buy time, until it finally emerged that Elad's demands were behind the delay." At a meeting six weeks ago with Natan-Martziano and JNF chairman Effi Stenzler, Elad head David Beeri said they would be willing to vacate the building only if given another legal building in the Peace Forest. Stenzler backed Beeri's position. Elad and JNF have a long history of working together - unofficially. Beeri took credit for helping JNF track down its properties in East Jerusalem; JNF subsequently leased these properties to Elad. Natan-Martziano says that JNF's concession on Elad's vacating the building means "postponing for years our entry into the Peace Forest." According to the Jerusalem municipality, the Peace Forest is public space, so it is unlikely that permits for new buildings will be granted. Indeed, Elad's current activity on the site is possibly illegal. Next to the main building, Elad set up two huts and a tent - without municipal permits, and nor does have it authorization for using the main building as "an educational-tourism center" and military academy. JNF said in response that it did not renege on the contract it signed in 2004, but cannot provide Hadvir Hahadash with a letter of reference to the ILA unless it can prove the "viability and realistic possibility" of building a boarding school in the forest. A statement from Elad said: "The organization is not a party to the dispute or the demand to build a boarding school for children with special needs on the site. The organization operates there by legal permit." Bookmark to del.icio.us   And the winner is Haaretz's Gideon Levy wins prize for cultural dialogue. The Amona syndrome Gov't fears it will pay the public price of removing outposts.   1.   By hook and by crook.... 10:02  |  Esther 15/01/08   2.   SETTLER GROUP REFUSES TO VACATE 10:50  |  Joe Charlaff 15/01/08   3.   The Settlers really are evil aren`t they? 11:36  |  Stephen Murray 15/01/08   4.   Titbayeshu lehem Elad 12:15  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 15/01/08   5.   anti-semitic! 13:04  |  tiger 15/01/08   6.   settllers are handicapped persons anyway 14:13  |  ralph is back 15/01/08   7.   Israel is just a big speculation 14:16  |  herods 15/01/08   8.   People with disabilities should live in the community 14:45  |  Arthur Golden 15/01/08   9.   Jerusalem Forest 15:09  |  Jo Jo 15/01/08   10.   Jerusalem Forest 15:09  |  Jo Jo 15/01/08   11.   A Reminder to these "G-D-fearing" settlers: Pr. 21:13 16:12  |  AliciaYasmeen 15/01/08   12.   #8 Arthur Golden: bless your efforts! 16:23  |  AliciaYasmeen 15/01/08   13.   Much more to this story than meets the eye... 17:27  |  bat yam 15/01/08   14.   land thieves 17:59  |  oliver masterman 15/01/08   15.   HILARIOUS! 18:03  |  Ahmed 15/01/08

Today Online IAF strikes kill four in Gaza; 40 Qassams fired at Israel Responses: 244 Israel Harel: No point in talks if Arabs won't accept Jewish Israel Responses: 104 PM: Israel won't end war on militants firing rockets from Gaza Responses: 96 Na'ama Sheffi: New talkback law does not hinder public dialogue Responses: 49 Amy Winehouse mulls album of 'cool' Hanukkah hits Responses: 41 Rosner's Domain Brzezinski against the right of return (WTR) Poll: Can Joe Lieberman convince Jews in Florida to vote for McCain? Secular Israelis don't care for American Jews' opinion on Jerusalem Why Bush did not say "a Jewish State" (WTR) Rosner's Mailbox: And what if Obama's a Muslim? More Headlines 20:15 IAF strikes kill four in Gaza; 40 Qassams fired at Israel 20:16 Israeli civilian wounded in West Bank shooting attack 20:34 Barak vows to expand IDF operations against Qassam fire 16:54 Hamas: Shalit in good condition, not in danger of being harmed 20:37 Former Nazi guard loses Canadian deportation appeal 20:39 Ahmadinejad: 'The Zionist regime' would not dare attack Iran 17:39 City in Czech Republic bans neo-Nazi march slated for weekend 18:30 Histadrut head says lecturers' strike could end Thursday night 18:42 Security forces thwart Jihad plan to bomb T.A.-Jerusalem railroad 17:06 PA: 40 percent of new international aid to be spent in Hamas-run Gaza Strip Previous Editions Select Day 16 jan 15 jan 14 jan 13 jan 11 jan 10 jan 09 jan 08 jan 07 jan 06 jan 04 jan 03 jan

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