High court judges accept petition by 5 villages in West Bank, rule that army must not close off areas in way that prevents Palestinians from working lands http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3267469,00.html<
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"The High Court ruled Monday that a military commander must not close off lands in a way that would prevent Palestinian residents from accessing their agricultural lands, "except in cases where there is a concrete need based on exact intelligence, and real threats on the ground."
The High Court received a petition submitted by five Arab villages in the West Bank against the commander of IDF forces in Judea and Samaria, and the Samaria and Judea Police, claiming they prevented Palestinian farmers from accessing their agricultural lands and working on them.
According to the petitions, by restricting their access, the security forces cut off their principal source of finance on which the villagers depends, causing serious harm.
The ruling was issued by Judges Dorit Beinish, Eliezer Rivlin, and Salim Jubran. Judge Beinish wrote that "the use of area closures, through the minimum needed closure, could be proportional only when it is done in the name of defending Israeli residents.
The petitioners, which included Palestinian village councils and the Rabbis for Human Rights organizations, claimed that settlers were also harming the property of residents, and were not receiving appropriate punishments."