Aqabah

This page is subject to the extended confirmed restriction related to the Arab-Israeli conflict.Aqabah (Arabic: العقبة, and also called Al Aqabah, Aqaba, or Al Aqaba) is a Palestinian village in the northeastern West Bank, which is being targeted for demolition by the Israeli Civil Administration (the IDF agency responsible for controlling the West Bank) as the majority of structures were alleged to have been built without permits from the Israeli military administration.

[2] Located in Area C of the West Bank on the edge of the Jordan Valley, the village is under complete Israeli military control and civil jurisdiction.

[5] Aqabah is mentioned in the 6th-7th century Mosaic of Reḥob inscription under the name ’Iqabin (איקבין), being a place inhabited mostly by non-Jews and, therefore, agricultural produce obtained from the area could be taken by Jews without the normal restrictions imposed during the Sabbatical years, or the need for tithing.

[7] Haj Sami Sadeq, Mayor of Aqabah, is one of the victims of those live training exercises, paralyzed for life after being shot by three bullets while working in his fields as a 16 year old.

[5][8] In addition, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the Israeli military also expropriated large areas of privately registered land.

Recognizing that the residents of Aqabah own clear title to approximately 3,500 dunams of registered (Tabo) land, Israel's allies, the United Nations, and several international organizations have invested heavily in the village: USAID helped build the road, the British government built the medical clinic, and the Japanese Embassy provided funds for a water tank.

The left-wing Israeli organization Gush Shalom states that despite the population increase and changing needs of the village inhabitants, the Civil Administration ignored their needs and turned them into "lawbreakers" against their will.

[4] The residents of Aqabah, Mayor Haj Sami Sadeq and Israeli and American human rights organizations are determined to continue to fight to save the village.

"[3]The Rebuilding Alliance and Gush Shalom state that the Supreme Court's decision is seriously flawed because it is based on grave misrepresentations and omission of facts.

In its decision, the Israeli High Court of Justice ignored the existence of these plans, falsely portraying the villagers as "law-breakers" and "chaotic builders" who have no respect for rule of law.

In September 2008, while appearing before Congressmen on Capitol Hill, Mr. Groag stated: Al Aqabah village has clear title to its land, knows its own needs, and should have the same right to be recognized and have a master plan like any other town in the modern world.

[15]Rebuilding Alliance founder Donna Baranski-Walker issued a press release noting that the village has never posed any security problem, and there is no justification for demolishing the houses.

[12] This course of action follows a precedent that was set in the case of the Palestinian village Wallaje in southern Jerusalem which was also saved pending the authorization of a land-use plan.

Children of kindergarten slated for demolition holding "pinwheels for peace."