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Israeli High Court of Justice Ruling on the Separation Barrier - Beit Suriq (2004)

Location
Jerusalem, Israel
Date
2014-12-07
People
Aharon Barak, Israel: Author, Eliyahu Matsa, Israel: Author, Mishael Heshin, Israel: Author
A ruling delivered by the Israeli High Court of Justice on 30 June 2004 in the case of Beit Suriq Village Council et al. v Government of Israel et al. (2056/04). The case was brought forward by Palestinians who asked the court to overturn expropriation decrees issued in order to facilitate the construction of the West Bank Separation Barrier, claiming that building the barrier on the proposed route would cause significant damage to the livelihood of Palestinian villagers in the Beit Suriq area. The plaintiffs claimed that they would be effectively cut off from large swaths of agricultural land, water resources and urban centers in the West Bank. The government, on its part, claimed that the route represents the minimal disturbance to the lives of Palestinians necessary to meet Israel's security needs. The court accepted most of the plaintiffs' claims, stating that the damage done to them is not proportional to the security needs met, and ordered the government to revise the barrier's route.