New Plan Will Confiscate Remaining Land Reserves of Arab Village of Tarshiha, Handing Them to Jewish Village of K'far Vradim
(Haifa, Israel) On 24 October 2010, Adalah and the Arab Center for Alternative Planning (ACAP) submitted an objection to the Detailed Regional Plan – K'far Vradim (the plan). K'far Vradim is a Jewish village in the Galilee in northern Israel situated adjacent to the Arab Palestinian village of Tarshiha. The plan is the third phase in the development of Kfar Vradim and has far-reaching and harmful implications for Tarshiha. The plan ignores vast areas that are currently undeveloped within K'far Vradim, while at the same time designating the only remaining land reserves in Tarshiha for an industrial/business development zone to be used by both communities. There are already several industrial/business development zones in K'far Vradim and Tarshiha, meaning there is no immediate need for another.
The objection to the plan was submitted by Adalah Attorney Suhad Bishara and Urban and Regional Planner Inaya Jris of ACAP on behalf of over 200 residents of Tarshiha, as well as the Al-Badil Association, an organization working on land and residential rights in Tarshiha. The objectors argue that the plan will prevent Tarshiha from using the only remaining land reserves left within the village for residential development, which will have a detrimental effect on its future development.
The plan will also block off the Western entrance to Tarshiha, one of the main entrances to the village, forcing residents to take a longer route to important service areas such as the closest local hospital (in Nahariya). The closure of this entrance will also violate the right to equality and freedom of movement of the residents of Tarshiha. In addition, the plan does not conform to development plans as set forth in the regional master plan for the area, which is legally binding, and supersedes any detailed regional plans, and is therefore illegal.
