Israel started building a separation wall that cuts across the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem in 2000. On the pretext of security, the Palestinian areas were divided from the Jewish areas by a concrete wall twice the height of the erstwhile Berlin Wall. The 712 km-long wall eats up a large amount of Palestinian land.
What are the Jewish settlements in the West Bank?
Israeli Settlements: Facts About Jewish Settlements in the West Bank. by Mitchell G. Bard. The term “Settlements” usually refers to the towns and villages that Jews have established in Judea and Samaria (the West Bank) and the Gaza Strip since Israel captured the area in the Six-Day War of 1967.
Do Israel’s West Bank settlements violate international law?
Editor’s note: U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Nov. 18 said that Israel’s settlements in the West Bank do not violate international law. That pleased Israeli Jews who see the territory as rightfully theirs and infuriated the Palestinians who live there and claim it as their land.
What will happen to the West Bank after the wall is built?
According to a study of the April 2006 route by the Israeli human rights organization B'Tselem, 8.5% of the West Bank area will after completion be on the Israeli side of the barrier, and 3.4% partly or completely surrounded on the eastern side. Some 27,520 to 31,000 Palestinians will be captured on the Israeli side.
What is the West Bank barrier?
Retrieved 2013-09-17. The West Bank barrier generally runs close to the pre-1967 Mideast war border – the so-called Green Line – but dips into the West Bank to include some Jewish settlements. Israel says a new section will extend deep into the West Bank, surrounding several West Bank towns.
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Why is Israel building a wall in the West Bank?
To most Israelis, the wall is considered a security measure protecting Israel from attacks by the Palestinian community. Many Palestinians consider the separation manifested in the wall a form of apartheid.
What are the settlements on the West Bank?
Number of settlements and inhabitants In total, over 450,000 Israeli settlers live in the West Bank excluding East Jerusalem, with an additional 220,000 Jewish settlers residing in East Jerusalem. Additionally, over 20,000 Israeli citizens live in settlements in the Golan Heights.
Did Israel build a wall?
SEPARATION WALL. Israel began building its separation wall in the occupied West Bank in June 2002, claiming that it was necessary for security.
Who does the West Bank really belong to?
Presently, most of the West Bank is administered by Israel though 42% of it is under varying degrees of autonomous rule by the Fatah-run Palestinian Authority. The Gaza Strip is currently under the control of Hamas.
Has Israel stolen land?
Israel has declared at least 26 percent of the West Bank as “state land”. Using a different interpretation of Ottoman, British and Jordanian laws, Israel stole public and private Palestinian land for settlements under the pretext of “state land”.
Who owned the West Bank before Israel?
West Bank, Arabic Al-Ḍaffah al-Gharbiyyah, Hebrew Ha-Gadah Ha-Maʿaravit, area of the former British-mandated (1920–47) territory of Palestine west of the Jordan River, claimed from 1949 to 1988 as part of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan but occupied from 1967 by Israel.
Where is the wall in the West Bank?
BethlehemA major aim in planning the route was de facto annexation of part of the West Bank: when the Wall is completed, 9.5 percent of the West Bank, containing 60 settlements, will be situated on its western “Israeli” side....The Road from Jerusalem to Bethlehem (2004) - Source OCHAFile Size:3363 kbFile Type:pdf
Who built the West Bank wall?
IsraelIsrael began building its separation wall in the occupied West Bank in June 2002, claiming that it was necessary for security.
Why is Bethlehem walled off?
Israel strenuously claims the wall was built to aid security by keeping out Palestinian “terrorists”. But the wall's path outside The Walled Off Hotel seals off Bethlehem from one of its major holy sites, Rachel's Tomb, and has allowed Jewish religious extremists to take it over.
Was Palestine a country before Israel?
Israel Becomes a State In May 1948, less than a year after the Partition Plan for Palestine was introduced, Britain withdrew from Palestine and Israel declared itself an independent state, implying a willingness to implement the Partition Plan.
Is Israel occupying Palestine land?
BACKGROUND: Palestinian territory – encompassing the Gaza Strip and West Bank, including East Jerusalem – has been illegally occupied by Israel since 1967.
Is West Bank and Gaza the same as Palestine?
The Gaza Strip and the West Bank are two Palestinian territories that were part of Mandate Palestine and were captured by Israel during the Six-Day War in 1967. There are over 5 million Palestinians combined living in the two territories.
What are settlements in history?
Settlements may include hamlets, villages, towns and cities. A settlement may have known historical properties such as the date or era in which it was first settled, or first settled by particular people.
Why does Israel keep building settlements?
Though there may be specific political reasons for specific settlement projects, the overarching reason Israel promotes settlement growth is security. Under the armistices lines, Israel was cut off by the West Bank, and enemy borders were close to population centers.
How much of the West Bank is occupied by Israel?
Area C (60 percent) – Under Israeli control – represents 60 percent of the West Bank.
How many settlements are there in the West Bank?
Since then around 200 such settlements have been built all over the West Bank. Most of the settlements are built at strategic locations with the objective of eating up as much Palestinian land as possible. Some of the settlements are built to deliberately divide the northern and southern parts of the West Bank.
What were the three areas of the West Bank divided into?
The Oslo Accords of 1995 had divided the West Bank into three major areas: A, B and C. Palestinians would have direct control over Area A, which is 18% of the West Bank. They would share authority with the Israelis in Area B, which is another 22% of the region. The majority of the 2.3 million Palestinians live in Areas A and B (40%) ...
What percentage of the West Bank is Israeli land?
Israelis have declared around 60% of Area C, which is around 36% of the total land of the West Bank, as military area in which Palestinians are not allowed. A large part of this land (around 10% of the entire West Bank) is being used by the Israeli state to create illegal Jewish settlements. However, the total land under the control ...
How many settlers were there in 1985?
The number of settlers and settlements keeps on growing. For example, in 1985 there were 40,000 settlers, in 1996 they increased to 140,000. In 2005 it reached 210,000 and in 2015 it was around 320,000.
What is the logic of the West Bank?
West Bank: Illegal settlements and separation walls are the occupiers’ logic of Peace. Israel wants to kill Palestinians’ right to self-determination through constant violation of international laws under the protection of imperialist powers. August 08, 2019 by Abdul Rahman.
When did the Land of Israel change its name?
The Land of Israel Movement changed its name in 1975 and became Gush Emunim (the Block of the Faithful) and work for the “redemption of the land of Israel.”.
When were the first settlements built in Israel?
The first Israeli settlements inside of the West Bank were built by a religious movement in 1967, the “Land of Israel Movement” founded by Mosse Lavinger. The so-called movement claimed the West Bank to be the biblical land of Judea and Samaria and entered the Hebron city disguised as tourists.
When did the West Bank become a permanent feature?
In 1988 Jordan’s King Hussein renounced all administrative responsibility for the West Bank, thereby severing his country’s remaining connections with the area. Meanwhile, anti-Israeli protests broke out among the Palestinians of the West Bank in December 1987 and became virtually a permanent feature of West Bank life for the next few years, despite the Israeli army’s continued attempts to suppress the disorders.
When was the West Bank annexed?
The Arab state whose creation was envisioned by the 1947 UN partition plan never came into being, and the West Bank was formally annexed by Jordan on April 24, 1950, although this annexation was recognized only by Great Britain and Pakistan.
Which two countries split in the Gaza Strip?
The increasingly violent power struggle between Hamas and Fatah resulted in a split between the West Bank, run by Fatah through the emergency PA government, and the Gaza Strip, controlled by Hamas.
How many Palestinians were displaced after the 1948 war?
Many Palestinians were displaced after the 1948 and 1967 wars. About 300,000 Palestinians (most of whom were originally from territory captured by Israel in 1948) left the impoverished West Bank for Transjordan (later Jordan) during the year after the 1948 war; and about 380,000 Palestinians fled the West Bank after it was captured by the Israelis in 1967. Between 1967 and 1977 an estimated 6,300 Palestinians were evicted from East Jerusalem and replaced by Jewish immigrants, and many others lost their residency rights under the 1992–96 government of Benjamin Netanyahu.
What countries occupied Palestine in 1948?
Upon the departure of the British occupying forces in May 1948 and the proclamation of the State of Israel, the armies of five Arab countries entered Palestine. In the ensuing conflict—the first of the Arab-Israeli wars —Israel expanded beyond the territory contemplated by the partition plan. The West Bank, as demarcated by the Jordanian-Israeli armistice of 1949, was broadly similar to (but smaller than) one of the zones designated as an Arab state by the United Nations (UN) partition plan for Palestine in 1947 ( see United Nations Resolution 181 ). According to that plan, Jerusalem was to have been an international zone. However, the city was instead divided into Israeli (west) and Jordanian (east) sectors. The Arab state whose creation was envisioned by the 1947 UN partition plan never came into being, and the West Bank was formally annexed by Jordan on April 24, 1950, although this annexation was recognized only by Great Britain and Pakistan.
What are the Palestinian towns in the West Bank?
The principal Palestinian municipalities of the West Bank are Janīn, Nāblus, and Ramallah north of Jerusalem and Bethlehem (Bayt Laḥm) and Hebron (Al-Khalīl) south of Jerusalem. Jericho (Arīḥā) is the chief municipality of the Jordan River valley. Several small universities on the West Bank (founded or attaining university status in the 1970s) enroll mostly Palestinian students.
What was the occupation of the West Bank in 1967?
During the 1967 war, Israel occupied the West Bank and established a military administration throughout the area, except in East Jerusalem, which Israel incorporated into itself, extending Israeli citizenship, law, and civil administration to the area.
Which country takes the high ground in Palestinian territory?
Israeli settlements generally take the high ground in Palestinian territory.
What to call the land of the Palestinians?
By the way, as a travel writer, there is the interesting issue of what to call the land of the Palestinians. Mainstream guidebooks, for instance, barely acknowledge the distinction between Israel and the occupied territories. More independent, non-corporate guidebooks will actually refer to the area as Palestine. I find an interesting spectrum of political correctness when it comes to the name: On the far right the disputed land is Judea and Samaria (land promised to the Jews in the sacred texts). Less conservative but still politically correct from an Israeli perspective is "Occupied Territories." I find "West Bank" and "Palestinian Territories" reasonably middle ground for both sides, and the most progressive name would be to call the area Palestine -- which implies the ultimate legitimacy of an independent Palestinian state. Based on the United Nations decision last November to recognize Palestine as a "non-member observer state," Google has decided to go with the term Palestine, and I will too.
Does Israel have a buffer zone?
Israel justifies many of its land grabs as creating a needed buffer zone (an action they can defend by simply referring to their recent history). They say that according to international law, if land is used to attack a nation, that nation has the legal right to both occupy and settle that land for its own defense. And they're doing that now with a vengeance.
What are the Palestinians' claims to the West Bank?
Palestinians contend that Israeli settlements in the West Bank are built on stolen land and that the settlers’ use of water – a scarce resource – is likewise illegal.
Where do the West Bank settlers live?
Still, these fervent settlers are a vocal and highly visible minority. They generally live in smaller settlements, located deep inside the West Bank.
How many Israelis live in the West Bank?
The population of Israelis living in the West Bank has mushroomed over the years. An estimated 430,000 Israeli Jews now live in 132 officially recognized “settlements” and in 121 unofficial “outposts” that require, but haven’t yet received, government approval.
Why are there checkpoints in the West Bank?
The Israeli army security checkpoints that dot the West Bank, which are meant to protect Israelis from terror attacks, also restrict and complicate the ability of Palestinian people to move around.
Why is the West Bank considered occupied territory?
According to the International Court of Justice, the UN’s main judicial body, the West Bank is considered occupied territory because it was not part of Israel before the Israeli army conquered it in 1967. Territorial conquest is also forbidden by international law. The Israeli government says that the Geneva Convention is not applicable to ...
Why do Jews live in the West Bank?
Most Jewish settlers in the West Bank, however, live there for economic reasons. Israeli government investment and incentives aimed at encouraging Jews to settle there make the cost of living lower than inside Israel.
Why is the Geneva Convention not applicable to the West Bank?
The Israeli government says that the Geneva Convention is not applicable to the West Bank because it only refers to a state occupying another state’s land. Israel considers the West Bank “disputed territory,” not occupied territory.
Where are the settlements in the West Bank?
Facts About Jewish Settlements in the West Bank. The term “ Settlements ” usually refers to the towns and villages that Jews established in Judea and Samaria (the West Bank) and the Gaza Strip (prior to the disengagement) since Israel captured the area in the Six-Day War of 1967. In some cases, the settlements are in the same area ...
How much of the West Bank is built up?
The overall area in dispute is very small. According to one organization critical of settlements, the built-up areas constitute only 1.7% of the West Bank. That is less than 40 square miles. Even if you add the unbuilt areas falling within the municipal boundaries of the settlements, the total area is only 152 square miles.
What did Israel do to Gaza?
Israel gave up all the territory it held in Gaza and evacuated some West Bank settlements without any agreement from the Palestinians , who now have complete authority over their population within Gaza. This offered the Palestinians an opportunity to prove that if Israel made territorial concessions, they would be prepared to coexist with their neighbor and to build a state of their own. Instead of trading land for peace, however, Israel exchanged territory for terror. Hamas came to power in the Palestinian Authority and instead of using the opportunity to build the infrastructure for statehood, the Gaza Strip became a scene of chaos as rival Palestinian factions vied for power. Terrorism from Gaza also continued unabated and Israeli towns have been repeatedly hit by rockets fired from the area Israel evacuated.
What percentage of the West Bank was annexed by Israel?
Instead of calling for the establishment of a Palestinian state in more than 90% of the West Bank, the plan envisioned a state in 70% and, rather than expecting Israel to dismantle and evacuate a majority of settlements, it approved of Israel’s annexation of all the settlements.
How many settlements are there in Israel in 2021?
The estimate for the Jewish population in 128 West Bank settlements at the beginning of 2021 was 475,481, roughly 5 percent of Israel’s total population.
What political parties supported Israel during the Six Day War?
Following Israel’s resounding victory over the Arab armies in the Six-Day War, strategic concerns led both of Israel’s major political parties - the Labor and Likud - to support and establish settlements at various times. The first settlements were built by Labor governments from 1968 to 1977, with the explicit objective to secure a Jewish majority in key strategic regions of the West Bank - such as the Tel Aviv - Jerusalem corridor - that were the scene of heavy fighting in several of the Arab-Israeli wars. In 1968, only five sparsely populated settlements existed beyond the Green Line.
Why did Jews move to the West Bank?
A third group of Jews who are today considered “settlers,” moved to the West Bank primarily for economic reasons ; that is, the government provided financial incentives to live there, and the towns were close to their jobs.
What is the outcome of the Oslo Accords?
In fact, a significant outcome of the Oslo Accords is that Israel no longer has full administrative control of the West Bank. The bilateral Oslo Accords divided the West Bank into Areas A, B, and C. The Palestinian Authority maintains full (civilian and security) control of Area A, which comprises approximately 18 percent of the West Bank, and contains all the large cities where the bulk of the territory’s Palestinian population reside. Area B (22 percent of the West Bank) is divided between Palestinian (civilian) and Israeli (security) administration. The remainder of the West Bank, Area C, is under full Israeli control.
Is the West Bank illegal?
Undersecretary of State Eugene Rostow. In addition, then Secretary of State Mike Pompeo acknowledged in 2019 that “The establishment of Israeli civilian settlements in the West Bank is not per se inconsistent with international law,” reverting to a position earlier voiced by President Reagan. Reagan had said: “As to the West Bank, I believe the settlements there — I disagreed when the previous Administration referred to them as illegal, they’re not illegal,” “ Excerpts From Interview With President Reagan Conducted by Five Reporters ,” New York Times, Feb. 3, 1981.)
Did Deutsche Welle correct the West Bank?
In response to communication from CAMERA, Deutsche Welle promptly corrected both points. Regarding control of the West Bank, the amended text now accurately reports:
Why did Jews move to the West Bank?
A third group of Jews who are today considered “settlers,” moved to the West Bank (Judea and Samaria, ed.) primarily for economic reasons; that is, the government provided financial incentives to live there , and the towns were close to their jobs.
How many acres of land is Israel in the West Bank?
Israel declared as state land this week nearly 1,000 acres in the West Bank, beginning the process to build settlements in more areas Palestinians say should be part of a future Palestinian country.
What was the settlement movement?
Following Israel’s resounding defeat of the invading Arab armies in the Six-Day War, strategic concerns led both of Israel’s major political parties – the Labor and Likud – to support and establish settlements at various times. The first settlements were built by Labor governments from 1968 to 1977, ...
When did the second wave of settlements begin?
The second wave of settlement construction began with the1968 occupation of the Park Hotel in Hebron, a city with a long, rich Jewish history dating back to biblical times that had only been interrupted by a massacre of Jewish residents by Arabs in 1929.
What is the Israeli West Bank wall?
The Israeli West Bank barrier (also known as the Israeli West Bank wall or Israeli West Bank fence) is a separation barrier in the West Bank or along the Green Line. The barrier is a contentious element of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Israel describes the wall as a necessary security barrier against terrorism;
How many Palestinians will be captured on the Israeli side of the West Bank?
Some 27,520 to 31,000 Palestinians will be captured on the Israeli side.
Why is the separation barrier important?
Although the Barrier is purported to be a temporary defense against Palestinian attacks, many view it as significant in terms of future negotiations over Israel's final borders. Some speculate that because sections of the barrier are not built along the Green Line but in the West Bank, the real purpose is to acquire territory. Some people describe the barrier as the de facto future border of the State of Israel. James Zogby, president of the Arab American Institute, has said that the barrier has "unilaterally helped to demarcate the route for future Israeli control over huge West Bank settlement blocks and large swathes of West Bank land". According to B'Tselem, "the overall features of the separation barrier and the considerations that led to determination of the route give the impression that Israel is relying on security arguments to unilaterally establish facts on the ground ..." Chris McGreal in The Guardian writes that the barrier is, "evidently intended to redraw Israel's borders".
What are the Israelis against the wall?
The Israeli Peace Now movement has stated that while they would support a barrier that follows the 1949 Armistice lines, the "current route of the fence is intended to destroy all chances of a future peace settlement with the Palestinians and to annex as much land as possible from the West Bank" and that the barrier would "only increase the blood to be spilt on both sides and continue the sacrificing of Israeli and Palestinian lives for the settlements." Some Israeli left wing activists, such as Anarchists Against the Wall and Gush Shalom, are active in protests against the barrier, especially in the West Bank towns of Bil'in and Jayyous.
How wide is the Israeli barrier?
On average, the barrier contains a 60-metre (200 ft) wide exclusion area. Some sections are wider (up to 100 metres (330 ft)) due to topographic conditions. The width of some sections (about 6% of the barrier) is 3 metres (9.8 ft) where the barrier is constructed as a concrete wall up to 8 metres (26 ft) high. These sections are narrower, require less land, and provide more protection against snipers. Wall construction is more common in urban settings, e.g., Qalqilyah and Jerusalem, and in areas where people have been killed by snipers, e.g., the Trans-Israel Highway.
How long is the Israeli West Bank barrier?
Israel appropriated Palestinian private land to build the fence upon and started preparations for constructing the wall to the farthest point ever inside the West Bank, 22 km beyond the Green Line, 3.5 kilometers long, and 100 meters wide. Israeli West Bank barrier near Mount Zion in 2009.
What groups have protested the wall?
Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and other Human rights groups have protested both the routing of the wall and the means by which the land to build the wall was obtained. The Israeli women of Machsom Watch regularly monitor events at checkpoints and report their findings. In a 2004 report Amnesty International wrote that "The fence/wall, in its present configuration, violates Israel's obligations under international humanitarian law."
Why Is Ownership of The West Bank So Contested?
Why Do Palestinians Object to The Israeli Settler Movement?
- Though they are neighbors and sometimes co-workers, relations between Jews and Palestinians on the West Bank are seldom friendly. West Bank Palestinians, who are majority Muslim, see themselves as the area’s indigenous inhabitants; many of their ancestors have lived and farmed in the West Bank for many centuries. Palestinians contend that Israeli settlements in the West Ban…
Why Do Israelis Want to Live in The West Bank?
- Israelis choose to live in the West Bank for many reasons. The popular stereotype of Jewish settlers as religious fanatics determined to reclaim the entire ancient homeland they believe was given to Jews by God is not quite accurate. It’s estimatedthat only about a quarter of West Bank settlers live there out of ideological conviction. Still, these fervent settlers are a vocal and highly …
Are Israel’s West Bank Settlements Legal Or Not?
- Most legal experts and the United Nations agree that Israeli settlements in the West Bank violate international law. The 1949 Geneva Convention, which Israel signed, prohibits an occupying state from moving its own civilians into the territory it occupies. According to the International Court of Justice, the UN’s main judicial body, the West Bank i...