Maskiot
Encyclopedia
Maskiot is an Israeli settlement
in the West Bank
. It is named after the Bible (Proverbs 25:11): "A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in arty bowls." Located in the northern Jordan Valley
, it falls under the jurisdiction of Bik'at HaYarden Regional Council. The international community considers Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal under international law
, but the Israeli government disputes this.
It was founded as a Nahal settlement
, and in July 2008 it was reportedly close to being expanded. According to Israeli Radio, the expansion was part of a deal between settlers in Israeli Outposts
established without the permission of the Israeli Government and the Israeli Defense Ministry. Many of Maskiot's residents are planned to be settlers previously evicted from Gush Katif
in the Gaza Strip
as part of Israel's unilateral disengagement plan
. Twenty housing units will be built for evacuees of Shirat HaYam
.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said he was "deeply concerned" over the new Maskiot plan, whereas the British government said it was "dismayed". A spokesman for US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said that the settlement expansion was "not helpful", and "inconsistent with Israel's commitment to the roadmap".
Israeli settlement
An Israeli settlement is a Jewish civilian community built on land that was captured by Israel from Jordan, Egypt, and Syria during the 1967 Six-Day War and is considered occupied territory by the international community. Such settlements currently exist in the West Bank...
in the West Bank
West Bank
The West Bank ) of the Jordan River is the landlocked geographical eastern part of the Palestinian territories located in Western Asia. To the west, north, and south, the West Bank shares borders with the state of Israel. To the east, across the Jordan River, lies the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan...
. It is named after the Bible (Proverbs 25:11): "A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in arty bowls." Located in the northern Jordan Valley
Jordan Valley (Middle East)
The Jordan Valley forms part of the larger Jordan Rift Valley. It is 120 kilometers long and 15 kilometers wide, where it runs from Lake Tiberias in the north to northern Dead Sea in the south. It runs for an additional 155 kilometer south of the Dead Sea to Aqaba, an area also known as Wadi...
, it falls under the jurisdiction of Bik'at HaYarden Regional Council. The international community considers Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal under international law
International law and Israeli settlements
The international community considers the establishment of Israeli settlements in the Israeli-occupied territories illegal under international law, but Israel maintains that they are consistent with international law because it does not agree that the Fourth Geneva Convention applies to the...
, but the Israeli government disputes this.
It was founded as a Nahal settlement
Nahal settlement
Nahal settlements were settlements established by Nahal soldiers in Israel and Israeli-occupied territories. Supporting Jewish settlement growth and expansion throughout Israel was once the main focus of the Nahal military brigade. The goal for every Nahal settlement was to become a civilian...
, and in July 2008 it was reportedly close to being expanded. According to Israeli Radio, the expansion was part of a deal between settlers in Israeli Outposts
Israeli Outposts
An Israeli outpost refers to a Jewish community built within the West Bank that was constructed between 1991 and 2004 without the authorization of the Israeli government...
established without the permission of the Israeli Government and the Israeli Defense Ministry. Many of Maskiot's residents are planned to be settlers previously evicted from Gush Katif
Gush Katif
Gush Katif was a bloc of 17 Israeli settlements in the southern Gaza strip. Gush Katif was specifically mentioned by Yitzhak Rabin, the Israeli prime minister who fell victim to an assassin in 1995, as essential to Israel's security border. In August 2005, the Israeli army moved the 8,600...
in the Gaza Strip
Gaza Strip
thumb|Gaza city skylineThe Gaza Strip lies on the Eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The Strip borders Egypt on the southwest and Israel on the south, east and north. It is about long, and between 6 and 12 kilometres wide, with a total area of...
as part of Israel's unilateral disengagement plan
Israel's unilateral disengagement plan
Israel's unilateral disengagement plan , also known as the "Disengagement plan", "Gaza expulsion plan", and "Hitnatkut", was a proposal by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, adopted by the government on June 6, 2004 and enacted in August 2005, to evict all Israelis from the Gaza Strip and from...
. Twenty housing units will be built for evacuees of Shirat HaYam
Shirat Hayam
Shirat HaYam was an Israeli settlement established in 2001 on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea west of Neve Dekalim in the Gush Katif settlement bloc....
.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said he was "deeply concerned" over the new Maskiot plan, whereas the British government said it was "dismayed". A spokesman for US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said that the settlement expansion was "not helpful", and "inconsistent with Israel's commitment to the roadmap".
External links
- New settlement being built in Jordan Valley, by Efrat Weiss in YNETYnetYnet is the most popular Israeli news and general content website. It is owned by the same conglomerate that operates Yediot Ahronot, the country's secondleading daily newspaper...
, September 6, 2009.