The Levy Commission Report, which examined the legality of Israeli construction in Judea and Samaria, has now been translated in its entirety into the English language.

Although the translation and contents are the product of the Regavim group, the section of ‘Conclusions and Recommendations’ is from the original Israeli Government translation.

The Levy Commission Report was assigned on 13 February 2012 by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and then-Justice
Minister Yaakov Ne’eman. The three-member panel that examined the issue of building in the so-called “post-1967″ territories included retired Supreme Court Justice E.E. Levy, chairman; retired District Court Judge Tehiya Shapira; and Ambassador Alan Baker.

International law is not as simple as it first appears with regard to the status of Judea and Samaria, according to the Levy Commission.

If viewed from the eyes of the Palestinian Authority leadership, Israel’s status is that of a “military occupier” and the settlement endeavor is that of an entirely illegal phenomenon, the Commission states in the report. “This approach denies any Israeli or Jewish right to these territories… they claim that the territories of Judea and Samaria are “occupied territory” as defined by international law in that they were captured from the Kingdom of Jordan in 1967.

“Consequently, according to this approach, the provisions of international law regarding the matter of occupation apply to Israel as a military occupier, i.e. Regulations concerning the Laws and Customs of War on Land. The Hague, 18 Octover 1907, which govern the relationship between the occupier the occupied territory, and the Fourth Geneva Cnvention Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War. Geneva, 12 August 1949.”

However, noted the Commission, there exists another legal position as well, “inter alia by the Regavim movement” and by the Binyamin Regional Council.

“They are of the view that Israel is not an “Occupying Power” as determined by international law inter alia because the territories of Judea and Samaria were never a legitimate part of any Arab state, including the kingdom of Jordan. Consequently, those conventions dealing with the administration of occupied territory and an occupied population are not applicable to Israel’s presence in Judea and Samaria.

“According to this approach, even if the Geneva Convention applied, Article 49 was never intended to apply to the circumstances of Israel’s settlements. Article 49 was drafted by the Allies after World War II to prevent the forcible transfer of an occupied population, as was carried out by Nazi Germany, which forcibly transferred people from Germany to Poland, Hungary and Czechoslovakia with the aim of changing the demographic and cultural makeup of the population.

“These circumstances do not exist in the case of Israel’s settlement. Other than the fundamental commitment that applies
universally by virtue of international humanitarian norms to respect individual personal property rights and uphold the law that applied in the territory prior to the IDF entering it, there is no fundamental restriction to Israel’s right to utilize the land and allow its citizens to settle there, as long as the property rights of the local inhabitants are not harmed and as long as no decision to the contrary is made by the government of Israel in the context of regional peace negotiations.”

It was the opinion of the Levy Commission that Israel’s status was not that of a “military occupier” with all that the term
implies, in accordance with international law.

The text of the entire document, in English may be accessed online by clicking here.

The Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) revealed Thursday it has exposed a huge terrorist network that was aided by terrorists and commanders operating from Jordan, Syria and Turkey as well as within Judea and Samaria.

One of their targets was Jerusalem’s Teddy stadium, home of the Betar soccer team.

They also were planned to use a car bomb and had drawn up plans for a mass casually attack on the Jerusalem light rail system, coordinated roadside bombs and shooting attacks with M-16 semi-automatic rifles, and infiltrations, murders and kidnappings in Jewish communities throughout Judea and Samaria.

The gag order on the arrests of more than 30 terrorists two months ago was lifted today. A large quantity of weapons and ammunition also were found.

At least two of those arrested are Jordanians who previously were soldiers for the kingdom, drafted by Hamas in 2010 and sent to Turkey and Gaza for training, entering the Hamas territory through smuggling tunnels from Egypt.

The command post from Turkey further shows how Hamas has been provided a deadly safe haven by Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The cells had carried out two explosions in Samaria last August, but no one was injured. The terrorists set off the bombs using a timer so that the explosions would occur when security forces were on the scene. One of the bombs went off at the Rehalim junction.

The explosions were carried out under instructions from Hamas commanders in Gaza, Jordan, Syria and Turkey. Investigations by the IDF and Shin Bet helped them track down the extensive terrorist network.

Among those arrested were two from Jordan, Manaf Mohammed Angvera, 28; and Abdallah Mahmoud Zitawi, 25, Jordan;

Kuwait native Mahmoud Airbajie, 25, who learned in Jordan; two Arabs from Tulkarem, east of Netanya, Rjyie Ahmed Amuri, 30; Adnan Samara, 30; Mutzav Ruwib, 23, from Bethlehem; and Tzuhiv Rabat, 29, from the Jordan Valley.

Jews in Samaria allegedly set fire to a home near Ramallah, north of Jerusalem, last Saturday night and left behind graffiti in Hebrew that stated “Death to Arabs.”

Dozens of similar “price tag” attacks in the past have been attributed to Jews. Sometimes, the attackers are caught. More often, they are not.

Lefties complain that the police do not catch the culprits, but one of the reasons is that sometimes the whole case was contrived by Arabs to frame Jews. Another possibility is that the James Bond Dept. of the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) is behind the criminal act in order to build up media outrage at settlers so the public will pressure the government to expel them to Tel Aviv.

In this case, “settlers” supposedly knocked on the door of the home, discovered no one was home and then scrawled hate slogans and set the residence on fire, using flammable liquid.

A mother with three children were reported to be in the house and were claimed to have been rescued by neighbors through the back door;

Pray tell, why did the Jews, bang on the door? To give them warning to leave? To ask for a match? To burn the residents also?

And if no one was home, how does anyone know that those awful settlers banged on the door?

Did the neighbors hear the noise?

And if so, why didn’t they whip out their smartphones and take pictures of the arsonists?

And where was the husband?

For the record, idiotic Jews may have torched the home.

Unless, of course, someone wanted to frame the Jews, and perhaps even collect insurance at the same time.

Israeli soldiers and security forces Saturday night arrested 12 suspects in Judea and Samaria, including one associated with the Islamic State (ISIS) and six linked with Hamas, the usually reliable Hebrew-language 0404 website reported.

An IDF spokeswoman told The Jewish Press she could not confirm or deny that one of those nabbed was operating on behalf of ISIS.

Several of those arrested were charged with attacking soldiers, policy and Jewish civilians with rocks and firebombs.

In Jerusalem, police are investigating a report that a Jewish women used pepper spray to defend herself from three Arabs who approached asked her if she was Jewish.

Police patrolling in the area detained two of the suspects while the third Arab fled the scene.

Israeli security forces in recent weeks have arrested dozens of terrorists operating within the Palestinian Authority and with tactical and financial support from Turkey, which the United States still considers a close ally.

The cell that planned to kill Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman with RPG grenades, as reported here earlier today, was only one of several what targeted other Israeli officials, soldiers, civilians and even Palestinian Authority officials, the Times of Israel reported, quoting PA sources.

However, it is not known if the trio that planned to assassinate Lieberman was operating under the network based in Turkey.

Several of the terrorists reportedly are being held by the Palestinian Authority.

The arrests follow last August’s previously reported plot to overthrow Mahmoud Abbas

Turkey, which helped sponsor the IHH terrorists on the Mavi Mamara ship more than four years ago, has become Hamas’ de facto headquarters.

Senior Hamas official Salach al-Aruri last August admitted that Hamas was behind the kidnap-murders of three Israeli yeshiva students in June.

The United States for years has declared Hamas to be an illegal terrorist organization, but it has not opened its mouth in public to say anything against Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s open support for Hamas.

Ever since Operation Cast Lead in late 2008, Erdogan has gone out of kilter.

He single-handedly changed Turkey from a decades-long friend of Israel to a sworn enemy.

He also suddenly and inexplicably saw Iran and Syria as allies in what he figured would be the new power broker in the Middle East.

Syrian President Bassar al-Assad’s butchery against his own people and raids on refugees who deserted to Turkey changed Erdogan’s mind, or what is left of it.

Similarly, he finally realized that a nuclear Iran might not be so healthy for Ankara.

But he still plays cards with Hamas, probably because of populist hate against Israel that has been fueled by incitement from Erdogan and Turkish media.

“Countries do not gain strategically by hosting terrorist groups,” Max Abrahms, professor of political science at Northeastern University and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations told Al-Monitor.

“My research demonstrates empirically that terrorism is politically counterproductive behavior that erodes popular support for the political cause and results in a backlash from the target country,” he added. “Hosting terrorist groups is thus a political liability.”

ISIS makes Hamas look like the Boy Scouts, so Turks are not up in arms so long as they see Hamas as being nothing more than a group of Muslims loyal to the cause of turning Israel into an Arab country, whether through the “peace process” or the “war process.”

Al-Monitor noted that “Turkey’s support for Hamas — along with Qatar — hampers Israel’s ability to isolate Hamas,” but the reported Israeli success in busting another Hamas network based in Turkey shows that it still can be done.

It also proves that Abbas knows he is making empty threats when he warns he will break off security cooperation with Israel.

It would be suicidal for him.

An Arab terrorist who police nabbed on Wednesday before he could stab a Jew posed as a hitchhiker but gave away his disguise when he stumbled in Hebrew as a Jewish driver offered him a ride.

The Jewish driver notified police of the suspicious “hitchhiker,” and officers arrived at the bus stop near the Jewish community of Dolev in Samaria. After a quick search, they discovered he was carrying a knife and a screwdriver.

He confessed to police that he was planning to ride to stab Jews on his way Jerusalem.

In Hebron, a man in his 20 raised the suspicion of Border Police officers at the Cave of the Patriarchs, where stabbing attempts are frequent.

The man was searched and was found to have been carrying a commando knife.

He showed signs of having drunk alcohol, which is forbidden by Muslim law, which does not recognize the Israeli law against carrying knives to carry out terrorist attacks.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu this week ordered all security units to go on high alert to try to prevent the recent wave of terrorism from spreading.

A poll of American Jewish voters carried out by the left-wing J Street lobby shows an overwhelming number of Jew support building in some Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria.

The results of the survey should be a wake-up call to President Barack Obama, who has surrounded himself with left-wing Jewish advisers and has given J Street a free pass to the White House while distancing traditional Jewish lobbies, particularly AIPAC.

J Street has been a consistent opponent of almost everything the Netanyahu government does, as reflected in President president’s holy ghost, otherwise known as the “Peace Process.”

A whopping 72 percent of polled American Jewish voters said they support construction in Jewish communities that are not outside the core settlement blocs. Twenty percent of that number back building for Jews in all of Judea and Samaria as well as Jerusalem.

Only 28 percent said Israel should freeze all construction in the same areas.

All of the respondents in the poll voted in last week’s mid-term elections. Nearly one-third of the respondents did not describe their affiliation with a stream of Judaism, while the breakdown for the others was 37 percent Reform, 20 percent Conservative and 10 percent Orthodox.

That means that the support for building in Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria has deepened among Reform Jews, previously thought to be heavily left-wing and against a Jewish presence in Judea and Samaria.

A majority of American Jews polled also said they have a favorable view of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, contradicting assumptions that most Jews in the United States oppose him and his policies.

The survey also verified other estimates that 69 percent of American Jews voted for Democratic candidates last week, another indication that President Obama cannot assume that Jewish Democrats back his and J Street’s view that settlers are “illegal” and “illegitimate.”

The Obama administration’s constant pointing fingers at Israel for allegedly blocking a peace agreement appears to be wearing thin on American Jews.

While 85 percent support an active role for the United States in the Arab-Israeli conflict, slightly more than half of the respondents “oppose the United States playing an active role in helping the parties to resolve the Arab-Israeli conflict if it meant the United States publicly stating its disagreements with Israel.”

In answer to the question, “Would you support or oppose the United States playing an active role in helping the parties to resolve the Arab-Israeli conflict if it meant the United States exerting pressure on Israel to make the compromises necessary to achieve peace?” 54 percent replied in the negative.

The poll also showed massive support for Israel in the Protective Edge counter-terror war with Hamas this past summer. The 80 percent approval showed how little J Street’s lobby against Israel has influenced American Jews.

Most of its influence seems to have been felt inside the White House, and anyone thinking of running for the Democratic presidential nomination in two years will pay close attention to the poll.

Hillary Clinton is the most highly favored candidate among the Jewish who were polled, winning support of 66-69 percent if Jeb Bush were running as the GOP nominee, and 70 percent if Rand Paul were the Republican candidate.

The poll also showed that only 25 percent of U.S. Jews support the Boycott Israel-BDS movement.

As usual, Israel was near the bottom of the list of subjects that concern American Jews, but more significant was that “terrorism and national security” were the number four issue, after the economy, health care and Social Security/Medicare.

The Islamic State beheadings of two Americans, one of the them Jewish, and an increasing number of Islamic-linked attacks on American soil have brought terror closer to home and brought all Americans to better understand Israel’s refusal to consider sponsors of terrorism “peace partners.”

Reflecting the overall mood of the United States, 57 percent of American Jews “feel things have gotten pretty seriously off on the wrong track” in the United States.

Nevertheless, Obama remains more popular among American Jews than among most other voting blocs. Fifty-seven percent either “somewhat” or “strongly” approve of how Obama is handling his job as president and 53 percent approved the way Congress is functioning.