Mitzpe Yair
Place in Judea and Samaria Area, Palestine
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mitzpe Yair (Hebrew: מצפה יאיר, lit. 'Yair Lookout') is an unauthorized (or illegal under Israeli law)[1] Israeli settlement in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Located two kilometres south-east of the settlement of Susya, it falls under the jurisdiction of Har Hebron Regional Council. It consists of 15 prefabricated structures, and is home for several families.[when?]
Mitzpe Yair | |
|---|---|
  Mitzpe Yair Location within the Southern West Bank | |
| Coordinates: 31°23′00″N 35°08′04″E | |
| Country | Palestine |
| District | Judea and Samaria Area |
| Council | Har Hebron |
| Region | West Bank |
| Founded | October 1998 |
| Founded by | Meir Am-Shalem |
History
Mitzpe Yair was established by Meir Am-Shalem in October 1998, and, according to Gideon Levy, was a price tag operation set up as Magen David Farm in retribution for the murder of a Susya settler, Yair Har-Sinai, after whom it was subsequently renamed.[2]
Legal status
Mitzpe Yair is an unauthorized settlement that is regarded as illegal by the Israeli regional administration.[3] In 2007 Peace Now revealed that a police superintendent was residing there despite its illegal status. The officer was ordered to evacuate his house by July that year.[4]
The international community considers all Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal under international law, but the Israeli government disputes this[5] in regard to those settlements who do have state authorization.
A vineyard in a wadi, planted on privately owned Palestinian land, and run by Elad Movshoviz, produces 7,000 bottles per annum. A legal case on the ownership of the area was, as of 2012, pending before the Israeli High Court of Justice.[2]