Regavim (NGO)
Regavim (רגבים) is an Israeli NGO dedicated to ensuring the legal, responsible, and environmentally friendly use of land.
The name, Regavim, is the the Hebrew word “regev,” meaning a very small piece of land, a word used in a Zionist poem about reclaiming the Land of Israel, “dunam by dunam, regev by regev.”[1]
Regavim monitors and reports on illegal construction,[2] and prosecuted cases of illegal construction through the judicial system.[1]
Regavim focuses most intensely on illegal construction in the Galilee, Negev, Judea, and Samaria.[1] According to Haaretz, the courts and Civil Administration are often slow to act against illegal construction activity, and Regavim files lawsuits to prod the courts to issue demolition orders.[3]
In February 2015 Regavim released a report documenting the illegal construction of houses funded by the British charity Oxfam; Oxfam defended its violation of the law,stating that it had undertaken the illegal activity on "“humanitarian grounds.”[4]
References
- ^ a b c Traiman, Alex (9 June 2013). "NGO counters illegal Palestinian and Arab building amid global focus on Jewish construction". JNS News Service. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
- ^ "Israel Demolishes Illegal European House". Israel Today. 11 March 2015. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
- ^ Prusher, Ilene (4 August 2015). "Susya, the Next Outrage in the Israeli-Palestinian Dance of Build-and-destroy/.premium-1.669360". Haaretz. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
- ^ Sanderson, E.B. (6 February 2015). "EU Breaching International Law Using Taxpayers Money By Building Palestinian Homes On Israeli Land". Breitbart (website). Retrieved 11 August 2015.
External links
- [Regavim official webpage (Hebrew and English)|regavim.org.il]