Ramat Gilad
{{Infobox Israel village
| name = Ramat Gilad
| hebname = {{Script/Hebrew|רָמַת גִּלְעָד}}
| foundation = May 2001
| founded_by =
| country =
| district = js
| council = Shomron
| pushpin_map = Israel shomron | pushpin_mapsize = 250
| coordinates = {{coord|32.181|N|35.113|E|display=inline,title}}
| website =
|image=RamatGilad4419.JPG|caption=Ramat Gilad as seen from Nofim in 2015}}Ramat Gilad ({{langx|he|רָמַת גִּלְעָד||Gilad Heights}}) is an Israeli outpost in the West Bank under the jurisdiction of Shomron Regional Council. Israeli outposts in the West Bank are considered illegal both under international law as well as under Israeli law.{{cite news |date=10 December 2009 |title=The Geneva Convention |publisher=BBC News |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/1682640.stm |accessdate=23 August 2012}}
History
Ramat Gilad was established by Moshe Zar in 2001. Moshe created Ramat Gilad, as well as the nearby illegal settlement of Havat Gilad, to honor of his son Gilad Zar, a security coordinator of the Shomron Regional Council, who was shot and killed in 2001 by Palestinians during the Second Intifada.{{Cite journal |last=Hughes |first=Sara |date=2017 |title=With a Wink and a Nod: Settlement Growth Through Construction as Commemoration in the Occupied West Bank |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14650045.2016.1216981 |journal=Geopolitics |volume=22 |issue=2 |pages=363 |doi=10.1080/14650045.2016.1216981|url-access=subscription }}{{cite news |author=Samantha M. Shapiro |date=February 16, 2003 |title=The Unsettlers |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/02/16/magazine/the-unsettlers.html |accessdate=2009-11-06 |work=New York Times}}
By 2009, Ramat Gilad was home to 13 families in 2009. It was considered an unauthorized outpost by the Israeli government and slated for demolition.{{cite web |author=Tovah Lazaroff, Yaakov Katz |date=May 26, 2009 |title=10 outposts slated for demolition |url=http://fr.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1243259517334&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110713124715/http://fr.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1243259517334&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull |archivedate=July 13, 2011 |accessdate=2011-03-04 |publisher=Jerusalem Post}}
In March 2011, the Cabinet of Israel ordered Ramat Gilad, along with all other illegal settlements in the West Bank, to be demolished by the end of the year.{{Cite journal |date=March 10, 2011 |title=Raze illegal outposts, Israeli Cabinet orders |journal=Washington Jewish Week |volume=47 |pages=10 |issn=0746-9373}} In response to this, the extremist settler group Hilltop Youth conducted a price-tag attack to defy the order. In the attack, rioters attacked an IDF base, soldiers, vehicles, and a Palestinian woman.{{Cite web |last=LAZAROFF |first=TOVAH |last2=KATZ |first2=YAAKOV |date=2011-12-14 |title=Right-wing extremists attack IDF base in West Bank |url=https://www.jpost.com/National-News/Right-wing-extremists-attack-IDF-base-in-West-Bank |access-date=2025-04-16 |website=The Jerusalem Post {{!}} JPost.com |language=en}} Following the attack, a deal was reached between the government and settlers to remove nine homes located on privately owned Palestinian land.{{cite news |last=Lzararoff |first=Tovah |date=28 December 2011 |title=Agreement reached to save Ramat Gilad outpost |url=http://www.jpost.com/DiplomacyAndPolitics/Article.aspx?id=251335 |accessdate=31 December 2011 |newspaper=Jerusalem Post}} In exchange for the voluntary relocation, the Israeli government legalized the outpost as a neighborhood of the nearby Karnei Shomron.{{Cite web |last=Sobelman |first=Batsheva |date=2011-12-28 |title=Israel to legalize West Bank outpost, mulling more construction |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/blogs/world-now/story/2011-12-28/israel-to-legalize-west-bank-outpost-mulling-more-construction |access-date=2025-04-16 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}} Peace Now stated that the deal proved to violent vigilantes that their methods were justified.{{Cite web |last=Altman |first=Yair |date=2011-12-28 |title=State, settlers reach deal on Ramat Gilad |url=https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4168127,00.html |access-date=2025-04-16 |website=Ynetnews |language=en}} The French government condemned this decision, stating that "all wildcat settlements must be demolished, as Israel promised in the 2003 roadmap".{{Cite web |date=2011-12-29 |title=France condemns 'provocative' Israeli settlement plans |url=https://www.rfi.fr/en/france/20111229-france-condemns-provocative-israeli-settlement-plans |access-date=2025-04-16 |website=RFI |language=en}}
In May 2014, the Israeli government demolished six of the settlements buildings and a synagogue, all built on private Palestinian land.Chaim Levinson [http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/.premium-1.590489 IDF to evacuate 28 buildings in West Bank settlements] Haaretz, 14 May 2014
A large wildfire erupted between Ramat Gilad and Karnei Shomron in 2016. Land mines in Ramat Gilad exploded as a result of the fires.{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2016-11-24 |title=Live-Blog: Israel Battles #PyroTerrorism: Thursday, Nov. 24 |url=https://www.jewishpress.com/news/breaking-news/israel-battles-pyroterrorism-thursday-nov-24/2016/11/24/ |access-date=2025-06-04 |website=The Jewish Press |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2016-06-03 |title=Wildfire Rages Near Jewish Villages in Judea and Samaria |url=https://www.algemeiner.com/2016/06/03/wildfire-rages-near-jewish-villages-in-judea-and-samaria/ |access-date=2025-06-04 |website=Algemeiner |language=en-US}}
In 2017, the Defense Ministry cleared mines from the area around Karnei Shomron. This was expected to allow for the construction of approximately 1,200 homes in Ramat Gilad.{{Cite web |date=2017-11-06 |title=Israel to clear mines from over 15 acres to expand West Bank settlement |url=https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/israel-to-clear-mines-from-over-15-acres-to-expand-west-bank-settlement-513478 |access-date=2025-04-16 |website=The Jerusalem Post {{!}} JPost.com |language=en}}
In 2018, the Israeli government passed "Regulation Law 2" which legalized 66 illegal settlements in the West Bank, including Ramat Gilad.{{Cite web |last=Toker |first=Benny |title='Settlement normalization is 20 years overdue' |url=https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/256325 |access-date=2025-04-16 |website=Israel National News |language=en}}
In 2024, Bezalel Smotrich instructed Israeli government ministries to fund further construction and development in 70 illegal outposts, including Ramat Gilad.{{Cite web |last=Ofran |first=Hagit |date=2024-06-19 |title=The Government Promotes Development and Construction in 70 Illegal Outposts |url=https://peacenow.org.il/en/construction-in-oupotsts |access-date=2025-04-16 |website=Peace Now |language=en-US}}
In January 2025, forty masked men attacked Palestinian villages near Ramat Gilad, setting fire to buildings and cars. The attacks led to an 86-year-old Palestinian man being hospitalized in Sinjil. The men clashed with IDF soldiers and Border Police, leading to two Israeli men being shot.{{Cite news |last=Halabi |first=Einav |last2=Kimon |first2=Elisha Ben |date=2025-01-20 |title=Two critically injured in West Bank shooting |url=https://www.ynetnews.com/article/byma5enwkl |access-date=2025-04-16 |work=Ynetnews |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=January 21, 2025 |title=Israeli police officer shoots 2 Jewish rioters as mobs torch cars and buildings in Palestinian villages |url=https://allisrael.com/israeli-police-officer-shoots-2-jewish-rioters-as-mobs-torch-cars-and-buildings-in-palestinian-villages |access-date=2025-04-16 |website=All Israel News |language=en-US}} The shooting led to a protest and riot in Jerusalem of far-right Israelis.{{Cite web |last=National News |first=Israel |date=Jan 22, 2025 |title=17 arrested at protest in Jerusalem: 'A kippah and side-locks are no reason to shoot' |url=https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/402667 |access-date=2025-04-16 |website=Israel National News |language=en}}
See also
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{cite web| url=http://peacenow.org.il/eng/content/ramat-gilad|title=Ramat Gilad| author=| publisher=Peace Now| date=| accessdate=}}
- {{cite web| url=http://muqata.blogspot.com/2009/06/settlement-outpost-at-midnight.html|title=Settlement Outpost at Midnight| author=| publisher=The Muqata| date=June 1, 2009| accessdate=}}
- {{cite web| url=http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/131538 |title=Ramat Gilad Faces Destruction | author=Maayana Miskin| publisher=Israel National News.com| date=May 24, 2009}}
- {{cite news| url=http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/ramat-gilad-residents-prefer-their-mobile-homes-to-luxury-homes-1.189612 |title=Ramat Gilad residents prefer their mobile homes to luxury homes| author=Nadav Shragai |newspaper=Haaretz| publisher=| date=June 7, 2006 | accessdate=}}
{{Shomron Regional Council}}
Category:Israeli settlements in the West Bank