Israel is accelerating settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank. (Photo: ActiveStills.org) Israeli authorities have revived a plan to build a new Jewish settlement on Palestinian
Palestinian National Authority
The Palestinian National Authority is the interim self-government body established in 1994 following the Gaza–Jericho Agreement to govern the Gaza Strip and Areas A and B of the West Bank, as a consequence of the 1993 Oslo Accords. Following elections in 2006 and the subsequent …
What are the Israeli settlements?
Israeli settlements are Israeli civilian communities in the Israeli-occupied territories (lands that were captured from Egypt, Jordan, and Syria by Israel during the 1967 Six-Day War). Such settlements currently exist in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights. The latter two areas are governed under Israeli civil law but are considered to be under military occupation by the ...
Are Israeli settlements legal?
Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territory are illegal under international law. The last time settlement units were approved in October, the Biden administration released a similar statement, condemning continued settlement building publicly.
What is the settlement in Israel?
Israeli settlement, any community of Israeli Jews built after 1967 in the disputed territories captured by Israel in the Six-Day War. Since 2005, settlements have existed almost exclusively in the West Bank, with a handful in the Golan Heights; they were also once erected in the Gaza Strip and the Sinai Peninsula.
Where is West Bank in 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.
Is Israel still settling the West Bank?
Israel has continued to support settlement initiatives through financial incentives and security support by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Today, there are upwards of 450,000 Israeli settlers in the West Bank, excluding East Jerusalem.
Where are Israeli settlements being built?
As of 2022, there are 140 Israeli settlements in the West Bank, including 12 in East Jerusalem. In addition, there are over 100 Israeli illegal outposts in the West Bank.
Are Israeli settlements in Palestine illegal?
The UN has repeatedly stated Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territory are a flagrant violation under international law, the rights experts recalled.
How many settlements has Israel built?
From 1967 through 2017, over 200 Israeli settlements were established in the West Bank (including East Jerusalem); their current population is almost 620,000.
Why is Israel entitled to the land?
Jewish religious belief defines the land as where Jewish religious law prevailed and excludes territory where it was not applied. It holds that the area is a God-given inheritance of the Jewish people based on the Torah, particularly the books of Genesis and Exodus, as well as on the later Prophets.
What land has Israel taken from Palestine?
More than 50 years ago, the state of Israel shocked the world when it seized the remaining Palestinian territories of the West Bank, East Jerusalem, Gaza Strip, as well as the Syrian Golan Heights and the Egyptian Sinai Peninsula, in a matter of six days.
What percentage of Palestine is occupied by Israel?
“Israel now controls around 27,000 cubic meters of land, accounting for 85% of historical Palestine,” the PCBS said. The bureau accused Israel of exploiting the classification of the occupied West Bank into Area A, B and C under the Oslo Accords.
How many UN rules has Israel violated?
SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTIONS: Laws Violated: Israel has violated 28 resolutions of the United Nations Security Council (which are legally binding on member-nations U.N.
What was Israel before 1948?
The region was ruled under the British Mandate for Palestine until 1948, when the Jewish State of Israel was proclaimed in part of the ancient land of Israel. This was made possible by the Zionist movement and its promotion of mass Jewish immigration.
Why did Israel settle in Palestine?
The movement, citing the biblical belief that God promised Palestine to the Jews, began to buy land there and build settlements to strengthen their claim to the land. At the time, these settlements, built largely on the coastal plain and in the north of the country, were called “Kibbutzim” and “Moshavim”.
Are there Israeli settlements in Gaza?
According to the report of the Security Council Commission established under resolution 446 (1979): "Between 1967 and May 1979, Israel has established altogether 133 settlements in the occupied territories, consisting of 79 in the West Bank, 29 in the Golan Heights, 7 in the Gaza Strip and 18 in the Sinai.
Why did Israel build settlements in the West Bank?
If it's so controversial, why does Israel want to do it? Israel claims historical and religious rights to the West Bank as the ancestral land of the Jewish people. It also says its presence there - especially in the Jordan Valley - is strategically vital for its self-defence.
Why is Israel settling the West Bank?
Israel has cited several reasons for retaining the West Bank within its ambit: a claim based on the notion of historic rights to this as a homeland as affirmed in the Balfour Declaration of 1917; security grounds, both internal and external; and the deep symbolic value for Jews of the area occupied.
Is the PLO the same as Hamas?
Moreover, Hamas, the largest representative of the inhabitants of the Palestinian Territories alongside Fatah, is not represented in the PLO at all.
Who opposes Israeli settlements?
The Palestinian Authority (PA) will be keenly watching for a response from US President Joe Biden’s administration, which has said it opposes unilateral Israeli settlement construction as an obstacle to a two-state solution to the conflict.
How many homes were seized in the West Bank?
The announcement on Sunday from the Ministry of Construction and Housing in right-wing Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s government said tenders had been published for 1,355 homes in the occupied West Bank, which was seized by Israel during the 1967 Six-Day War.
What did the European Union call Israel to do?
The European Union on Monday called on Israel to halt the planned construction.
Who replaced Benjamin Netanyahu?
Anti-occupation group Peace Now said Sunday’s announcement proved that Bennett’s ideologically diverse coalition, which replaced former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s pro-settlement government in June, was not “a government of change”.
What did Jordan condemn the announcement of the new atomic bomb?
Jordan condemned the announcement as “a violation of international law”.
Why does Israel promote settlement growth?
Finally, we can consider why Israel continues to promote settlement growth. 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. For example, the distance between the West Bank city of Qalqilya and the Mediterranean sea is only about 9 miles.
When did Israel take over the Golan Heights?
Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria, and annexed the Golan Heights in 1981 via the Golan Heights Law. Though the armistice agreement with Syria stressed the mutability of the armistice lines, and though Syria refused Israel's offer, to return the Golan Heights in exchange for peace, that annexation is not internationally recognized.
How to stir up a hornet's nest?
Expanding the settlements is a very effective way to "stir up a hornet's nest". Every now and then some external party decides to try to help Israel and Palestine to achieve peace. Then the hawks in Israel push for more settlements and this heats up the conflict and the threat of a peace deal is avoided.
How did Israel respond to the Egyptian invasion?
Israel responded by destroying the Egyptian airforce. Faced with an Egyptian, Syrian, and Jordanian invasion, Israel defeated the three Arab armies in six days. Israel captured the Sinai and the Gaza Strip from Egypt.
What was the result of the Six Day War?
The Six Day War resulted in Israel controlling territory and the countries they were in conflict with giving up all rights to.
Is Israel willing to transfer land to Palestine?
Given that Israel is willing to transfer to Palestine as much land as it wishes to keep, the settlements cannot sensibly be framed as a land grab: they grant Israel no additional land. In terms of danger: the settlements experienced a good deal of violence during the Second Intifada: hundreds of Israeli civilians died.
Did the Palestinians have sovereignty over the West Bank?
Many of these settlements were established on land you'd be hard pressed to call Palestinian. The Palestinians never held sovereignty over the West Bank, and rejected all promises of sovereignty over those areas (including in 1936-1937, 1938, and 1947 ), and some of the areas on which settlements were established, like Gush Etzion and Hevron, had Jewish communities that had existed sometimes for thousands of years before they were depopulated in Arab riots and by Arab armies in Israel's war for independence.
Where is the illegal settlement in Jerusalem?
Occupied East Jerusalem – Israeli occupation authorities in Jerusalem have approved a plan to build housing units in an illegal settlement on the Palestinian area of Khirbet Tabalya, southwest of the city.
What would separate Ramallah and Jerusalem?
The settlement, along with the existing military checkpoint in the area , would further separate the cities of Ramallah and Jerusalem from one another.
What is the construction plan for Beit Safafa?
The construction plan would cut off Beit Safafa from the surrounding Palestinian villages and from the rest of Jerusalem. It would also link together the nearby Israeli settlements of Jabal Abu Ghneim, or “Har Homa,” with “Gilo”, and the proposed “Giv’at Yael” settlement on lands belonging to the Palestinian town of Walajeh.
How many dunams are there in Jerusalem?
According to Jerusalem map expert Khalil Toufakji, the area spans some 900 dunams.
Where is the Atarot settlement located?
Additionally, Israeli authorities have begun promoting the construction of more than 9,000 units for a new settlement named “Atarot” on land belonging to the Palestinian village of Qalandia, in northern occupied Jerusalem.
Who owned the land in Bethlehem?
Toufakji explained that part of the lands belonged to the German Lutheran Church, while other parts were classified as private Palestinian property, including for refugees, and pointed to previous sales of lands owned by the church for Jewish settlements north of Nazareth – in the “Bethlehem of the Galilee” – and Sarona, near Tel Aviv.
Who is the Israeli Foreign Minister?
The announcement came a day after Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid met United States Vice President Kamala Harris in Washington, DC.
What is the resolution condemning Israel for its settlements in East Jerusalem and the West Bank?
However, the resolution was nothing but a formal statement of what most nations in the world already believed about the settlements.
Why did Israel occupy the West Bank?
Israel suffered an unprovoked attack and occupied those territories in order to better defend itself from future attacks. Biblically speaking, Israel has every right to possess, occupy, and build homes in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, the Golan Heights, Gaza, and far more.
What war did Israel fight in 1948?
This conflict became known as the Arab-Israeli War of 1948, and Israel defeated the armies of Egypt, Syria, Jordan, and Iraq. After fighting ended, the nation of Israel stayed within the borders designated for it by the United Nations in 1948. Nineteen years later, in 1967, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, and Iraq attacked again, ...
Which territories did Israel control?
After this conflict, however, Israel seized control of the West Bank and East Jerusalem (from Jordan), the Sinai Peninsula and Gaza (from Egypt), and the Golan Heights (from Syria). Ever since, Israel’s occupation of those territories has been a matter of international debate. Israel gave the Sinai Peninsula back to Egypt in 1979 as part ...
What happens when a nation seizes territory from the nations that attacked it?
When a nation seizes territory from the nations that attacked it, the action is normally seen as a justifiable way for that nation to solidify its defense. In any situation not involving Israel, there would be universal recognition of the nation’s right to control the seized territories.
When did Israel give Egypt the Sinai Peninsula back?
Israel gave the Sinai Peninsula back to Egypt in 1979 as part of the Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty, but it still retains control of the West Bank, Gaza, and the Golan Heights. Israel has been building settlements in East Jerusalem and the West Bank since 1972, although the building of settlements has been greatly expanded in recent years.
When did Israel become a sovereign nation?
Israel and its relationship to its neighbors and the West Bank (and Gaza) is a complicated issue. Here is a brief history: Israel became a sovereign nation in 1948 when the United Nations officially recognized its existence.
