source: Aljazeera.com, 12-10-2005.
summary: "Israel" started building new police station in the heart of the West Bank, in an attempt to strengthen its control over the territory, now covered with Zionist-Jewish settlements.
It is also part of a bigger "Israeli" plan to strengthen its control over East Jerusalem` (al-Quds).‏‏
More "Israeli" land-grabs took place over the past few weeks, during which the world's attention was solely directed towards the Gaza withdrawal, described by many analysts as a step towards "Israel`s" dominion over East al-Quds and the West Bank.‏‏
The Zionist state`s maneuvers to seize more Palestinian lands in East al-Quds have stirred outrage, even among senior "Israeli" officials.‏‏
As reported earlier, the "Israeli" government resurrected a 55-year-old piece of legislation drafted after the 1948 war. Under the 1950 Absentee Property Law, "Israel" can seize the holdings of any Palestinian landowner it defines as "absent."‏‏
And while the "Israeli" government tries to tighten its grip over al-Quds and the area surrounding it, the Palestinians say that the future of a Palestinian state will be crippled if it can`t follow a natural growth pattern expanding outward from al-Quds, as it provides nearly half of a future state`s economy.‏‏
``The metropolitan area is hugely vital," says a cartographer working for an international group working on security and land-planning issues related to Gaza withdrawal.‏‏
``They are withdrawing from Gaza Strip, but here they intend to take land," said Hani Issawi, a Palestinian businessman, referring to the hills between his struggling neighborhood in East al-Quds and the Zionist-Jewish settlement of Maale Adumim, 3 miles east into the West Bank.‏‏
Moreover, the West Bank Separation Barrier, which "Israel" claims is designed to protect the "Israelis" against (retaliatory) attackers, adds to the Palestinians sufferings and kills hope for a possible end to the conflict between the two parties in the near future.‏‏
"Israel" plans to extend the barrier around Maale Adumim, dividing the northern and southern halves of the West Bank.‏‏
The "Israeli" Prime Minister himself explained that quitting Gaza, a less-important territory to the Jewish (Zionist) state, would preserve "Israel`s" (Zionist) Jewish majority and help "Israel" gain control over more West Bank areas.‏‏
Last month, a municipal committee approved the construction of new (Zionist) Jewish settlement in the Muslim Quarter of al-Quds` Old City, a crucial site to the Palestinians as it houses Al Aqsa mosque.‏‏
"Israel" started building 3,000 housing blocks in Modi`in Ilit and Betar Ilit settlements, both on the "Israeli" side of the security barrier.‏‏
"Israeli" defense (War) officials` have previously stated that "Israel" should keep large blocs east and south of al-Quds, as well as settlements overlooking the Jordan Valley, which threatens to hamper any economic development in the West Bank.‏‏