Press Release

9 March 09
Groundbreaking petition to the High Court of Justice:
Yesh Din: “Stop Israeli mining activity in the West Bank”
• 75% of materials mined by Israeli companies in the West Bank are transferred to Israel;
• Israel’s mining activity constitutes blatant infringement on international humanitarian law
and the laws of occupation, and may even constitute pillage and/or war crimes.

Today, March 9, Yesh Din filed High Court petition demanding that it issue an order to halt Israeli
mining activity in West Bank quarries. The petition, filed by attorneys Michael Sfard, Shlomy Zachary,
and Avisar Lev, also demands that the issuing of concessions be halted and that existing quarrying
licenses not be extended.

In the petition Yesh Din demands that Israel freeze all quarrying activity throughout the West Bank,
claiming it is illegal and executed through brutal economic exploitation of occupied territory for the
economic needs of the State of Israel, the occupying power.

The petition is also submitted against eleven Israeli companies that operate quarries currently active
in the West Bank including: Natuf quarry operated by Shapir Engineering, Netivei Beitar quarry
partially owned by Ashtrom Engineering & Construction, Nahal Raba quarry operated by
international company Hanson, Barkan quarry operated by Bnei Hasharon, Kochav Hashahar quarry
operated by Mordechai Binyamin and Sons, Meitarim Quarries, Kfar Giladi Quarries, HGI House,
Medan General Contracting, Adora quarry operated by Elyakim Ben Ari, and Salit Adumim Quarry. In
addition there are two quarries operated in the past by Israeli companies (Kal Construction east of
Modi’in Ilit and Zofit quarry by Lidar Company) that today are no longer operating.

The Israeli companies operating in the territories transfer most of their output back inside the Green
Line, against International Law and Laws of Occupation. The petition quotes a document connected to
the Interior Ministry corroborating Yesh Dins finding, saying that "gravel yield in this region is
estimated by the Civil Administration to approximate 12 million tons per year, which is marketed
mostly within Israel (some 9 million tons per year), and the rest in the local market…most quarries are
owned by Israeli companies who tend to market yields in Israel (some 74% of output). This tendency
is estimated to continue in the future.”

"Under international law, this type of activity constitutes a violation of the laws of occupation and
hence of human rights and in some cases is even defined as pillage," says the petition. In a response
to an initial letter from Yesh Din, the Civil Administration explained that quarry activity was
“problematic and not simple,” and stated that the issue requires “research by their offices” and “legal
review.”

Atty. Michael Sfard, Legal Counsel for Yesh Din: “The fact that there has never been a legal inquiry
into this issue is astounding, particularly in light of the scope of illegal activity and severity of these
actions, which are unprecedented even by the already low standards that exist in the West Bank.”

Dror Etkes, Yesh Din Lands Project Coordinator: “To all those who thought the occupation of the
West Bank and the settlement enterprise within it rests on ideological foundations primarily, this
petition shows that the State of Israel and its economy make significant material profit from the
continuation of this reality.”