Article - Desert's Sand and Rocks Become Precious Resources in West Bank Dispute

In a NYTimes article, Ethan Bronner reveals Israeli expropriation of resources (sand and rocks) crucial to a future Palestinian state. This is the kind of counterproductive move that prevents a Palestinian state (natural resources are key to a viable economy) and therefore Israel's own security.

These expropriated West Bank natural resources account for nearly a quarter of the sand and rock Israel uses every year.

I wonder if they are using this to build settlements? (And then employing Palestinian laborers to do the work...) Talking about twisting the knife in the wound...or in this case, driving the knife in the peace talks.

In legal terms - the Fourth Hague Convention states that occupying powers may not remove natural resources and that any gain obtained from their exploitation must be kept in a designated fund for the local population.

While of course this was not Bronner's intent - there is a parallel to colonial practices of exploitation of natural resources in Africa.

Israeli rights group Yseh Din is bringing the case to the Israel Supreme Court next week.