On March 9th, 2005 Israel issued the government-sponsored Sasson Report, which revealed that Israel was involved in both funding and building Jewish settlement outposts across the West Bank, for the past four years under Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and in preceding years. The report, conducted by former chief state prosecutor Talia Sasson, contradicts the assertion that the outposts were independent of the government and constructed by settlers.

The government was not only aware of the illegal outposts but was also directly involved in constructing and funding them. Sasson states in the report: “There is a blatant violation of the law by certain state authorities, public authorities, regional councils in [the West Bank] and the settlers.” (Washington Post March 9, 2005) Settlement outposts are gatherings of buildings that allow settlers and the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) to enlarge and link existing settlements, thereby giving them a foothold in these areas in violation of international law.

The rapid growth of settlements has become a concern in the past year and Prime Minister Sharon commissioned the report in June of 2004 in response to international calls and pressure from the United States. According to the Washington Post, “Israeli law and international mandates prohibit expansion of established settlements outside their borders, but growth of settlements and outposts has been rapid during Sharon’s tenure as prime minister. The Israeli government says 28 outposts have been built in that period.” While many initially viewed the report as a method for delaying the withdrawal, it is now seen as a compelling argument to begin dismantling the settlements. The debate is growing over how many illegal outposts the road map requires Israel to evacuate: only those established after March 2001, or all of them. (Ha’aretz March 14, 2005)

The advocacy group Peace Now said 51 of the 100 outposts in the West Bank have been created since Sharon took office in March 2001, while the Sasson report lists a total of 96 illegal outposts. According to the report, “the laws have not been upheld for some time, including during the entire period of Mr. Sharon's government.” (New York Times March 8, 2005) Government sources claim that while the cabinet says it will dismantle 24 illegal West Bank outposts, a schedule has not been set for dismantling any of the illegal settlements. In spite of the critical report, Sharon has decided to delay action that deals with the outposts.

The report has since been sent to a ministerial committee for to advise the situation. The committee will be headed by Justice Minister Tzipi Livni, who according to the report was responsible for the government agency that committed some of the most arrant violations of Israeli law in this matter. He also played a large role in obstructing the Sasson investigation. Dror Etkes of Peace Now described the decision to place Livni as the head as “an attempt to bury as quickly as possible the whole question of the management of the government surrounding outposts." (Washington Post March 14, 2005) This report comes as Israel demands that the Palestinian Authority adhere to the Road Map and dismantle terror organizations, while subtly threatening that any deviation will put a hold on possible negotiations.

The government involvement in illegal settlement outposts is not only a direct violation of Israeli law but violates the internationally backed Road Map; on March 13, Prime Minister Sharon announced to the cabinet “the evacuation of unauthorized settlement outposts is part of Israel's obligations according to the road map as it was approved by the government." However, in spite of statements like this, Sharon has approved the construction of 3,500 new settler homes, linking the communities of Maleh Adumim and Jerusalem. (Washington Post March 22, 2005) Potentially more damaging than the Sasson report is the upcoming report from Baruch Spiegel. This report will look into each settlement in the West Bank, not just the illegal outposts. The need for the Spiegel report stemmed from the Sharon government’s attempts to implement disengagement and its inability to define settlement boundaries and remove outposts.

However, in finding this information, “Israel was shamefully revealed to be a third world country, in which the government cheats itself and allows a quasi-underground network to manage its own policies. The government ostensibly does not authorize these policies, but in practice it turns a blind eye to them and feigns surprise at the outcome.” (Ha’aretz March 13, 2005) If the Sasson report has created some waves, the Spiegel report could possibly create a tsunami. It will reveal the origin, financing, management, legality and boundaries of each individual settlement. It is interesting that the Sharon government is investigating these illegal settlements and outposts when Sharon himself was instrumental in the encouragement of new settlements and only recently has began to condemn them. With public sentiment now against the once champion of the settlers, Sharon’s crisis is imminent.

Without a budget passed by March 31, Sharon will be forced to a resign. Now that he is obliged to undo his own policies, will this be the end of the Sharon government, and if so, what does this mean for the road map and a future Palestinian state?