On a long road between Neve Tzuf and Ofarim in west Binyamin are electricity poles that carry a sign that reads in English and Arabic: Jerusalem District Electric Company (JDECO).
These electricity poles have the authorization of the Civil Administration. They provide electricity to Palestinian villages and will soon carry voltage from the enormous solar farm that the Palestinian Authority has built between Neve Tzuf and Ofarim.
The Civil Administration does not penalize JDECO for providing electricity to illegal buildings in Area C. Instead, the company is rewarded with authorization to advance huge projects while the company’s growing debt to the Israel Electric Corporation (IEC) has topped a billion shekels.
To date there is no policy on disconnecting illegally constructed buildings from the grid, and no action has been taken against JDECO. Jewish residents in Area C have been unnecessarily waiting a very long time to be connected to the basic service of electricity. Instead of demolishing Jewish homes and treating Jews like terrorists, the new government’s priorities must focus on the development of the legitimate Jewish presence in Area C. It should also halt further development of any kind – certainly in area C – by Palestinian Arabs.