Settlement FAQs

why does israel build settlements

by Rahsaan Herzog Published 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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Israel has justified its civilian settlements by stating that a temporary use of land and buildings for various purposes appears permissible under a plea of military necessity and that the settlements fulfilled security needs.

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.Jun 25, 2020

Full Answer

Why does Israel 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.

Where are the settlements in Israel located?

Israeli settlements are civilian communities inhabited by Israeli citizens, almost exclusively of Jewish ethnicity, built on lands occupied by Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War. Israeli settlements currently exist in the Palestinian territory of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and in the Syrian territory of the Golan Heights, ...

When did Israel start building settlements in the West Bank?

As early as September 1967, Israeli settlement policy was progressively encouraged by the Labor government of Levi Eshkol. The basis for Israeli settlement in the West Bank became the Allon Plan, [50] [51] named after its inventor Yigal Allon.

What is the history of Israeli settlement policy?

Settlement policy. As early as 1967, Israeli settlement policy was started by the Labor government of Levi Eshkol. The basis for Israeli settlement in the West Bank became the Allon Plan, named after its inventor Yigal Allon.

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Why is Israel allowed to have settlements?

Israel has justified its civilian settlements by stating that a temporary use of land and buildings for various purposes appears permissible under a plea of military necessity and that the settlements fulfilled security needs.

Why is Israel building settlements in Palestine?

Israel wanted "a Palestinian entity, less than a state, which will be a home to most of the Palestinian residents living in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank". It wanted to keep settlements beyond the Green Line including Ma'ale Adumim and Givat Ze'ev in East Jerusalem.

Why is Israel building settlements in the West Bank?

Settlements are communities of Jews that have been moving to the West Bank since it came under Israeli occupation in 1967. Some of the settlers move there for religious reasons, some because they want to claim the West Bank territory as Israeli land, and some because the housing there tends to be cheap and subsidized.

How many settlements does Israel have?

Today they total around 400,000 and live in about 130 separate settlements (this doesn't include East Jerusalem, which we'll address in a moment). They have grown under every Israeli government over the past half-century despite consistent international opposition.

Is Israel illegally taking land?

For the last 50 years, Israel has been forcing thousands of Palestinians off their land, occupying and illegally using it to create settlements that exclusively house Jewish Israeli settlers. Entire Palestinian communities have been displaced by these settlements.

How much land has Israel taken from Palestine?

Shortly after Israel declared statehood, units of the neighbouring Arab country armies came in to fight for the Palestinian nation. The 1948 war ended with Israeli forces controlling approximately 78 percent of historical Palestine. The remaining 22 percent fell under the administration of Egypt and Jordan.

Does Israel Own West Bank?

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.

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.

Who owns the Gaza Strip?

IsraelIsrael maintains direct external control over Gaza and indirect control over life within Gaza: it controls Gaza's air and maritime space, as well as six of Gaza's seven land crossings. It reserves the right to enter Gaza at will with its military and maintains a no-go buffer zone within the Gaza territory.

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”.

What is wrong with Israeli settlements?

The settlements have a lot of security measures including Jewish-only roads and restrictions that split up Palestinian territory, often making it difficult for people to get to work, visit family or even go to the hospital when they are sick.

How do Israeli settlements work?

According to the Israeli government, settlements are built on land not registered to Palestinians at the time of the 1967 war, unlike outposts, which are built on land that was registered to Palestinians (and are therefore illegal). Some outposts have been cleared while others were later legalized [source: Simons].

What is wrong with Israeli settlements?

The settlements have a lot of security measures including Jewish-only roads and restrictions that split up Palestinian territory, often making it difficult for people to get to work, visit family or even go to the hospital when they are sick.

What are the historical causes of the conflict between Israel and Palestine?

The history of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict began with the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948. This conflict came from the intercommunal violence in Mandatory Palestine between Arabs and Jews from 1920, and erupted into full-scale hostilities in the 1947–48 civil war.

What are Palestinian settlements?

Settlements are Jewish communities in historic Palestine built by the Zionist movement pre-1948 and thereafter by the state of Israel. These communities can range in size from single-person outposts to entire cities. One of the first settlements built by Zionists was Tel Aviv in the early 20th century.

How do Israeli settlements work?

According to the Israeli government, settlements are built on land not registered to Palestinians at the time of the 1967 war, unlike outposts, which are built on land that was registered to Palestinians (and are therefore illegal). Some outposts have been cleared while others were later legalized [source: Simons].

How many Israelis live in settlements?

Settlements are generally considered to be a major impediment to peace. About 500,000 Israelis live in the settlements, of which there are about 130 scattered around the West Bank. Roughly 75 percent of settlers live on or near the West Bank border with Israel. Some of the settlements are vast communities that house tens of thousands ...

Why do Jews settle in the West Bank?

Settlements are generally considered to be a major impediment to peace.

When did the Israeli occupation of the West Bank begin?

Since the Israeli occupation of the West Bank began in 1967, Israelis have been traveling there in groups to live in settlements. Share All sharing options for: What are settlements, and why are they such a big deal? Backdropped by the Jewish settlement of Har Homa in east Jerusalem, a Palestinian flag flutters in the West Bank town ...

What do settlements look like?

Some of the settlements are vast communities that house tens of thousands of people and look like suburban developments. Some look like hand-built shanty outposts. Settlements create what Israelis and Palestinians call “new facts on the ground.”.

Why did Israel build settlements in the West Bank?

You will find a lot of false historical statements in many other answers, but the real reasons are that Israel builds settlements in the West Bank because they want to, because no one cares about the fact that it is pure Palestinian land, because due to many political and economical reasons, some powerful countries support them.

Why does Israel have to conquer all of its land?

Because right-wing extremists in the Israeli government and among voters prefer expansion to security: the Jewish state isn't enough, the State of Israel must conquer and take all the land its namesake kingdom covered a couple thousand years ago: even if that's a war crime; even if that proves to the Palestinians that they have no true partner for peace; even if that means putting Israeli civilians inside occupied enemy territory during a conflict, while bending over backwards to perpetuate that conflict.

What did Barak offer the Palestinians in 2000?

In 2000, Premier Barak offered the Palestinians a peace deal including the establishment of a Palestinian state in over 90% of the West Bank, and all of Gaza. Their response, a massive terror campaign against Israel, hoping to suicide bomber it into offering submission.

Why did Israel build Judea and Samaria?

Dear Anonymous OP, Israel builds in Judea and Samaria, because it is an Israeli land, gained in the defensive war.

What was the land east of Jordan supposed to be?

The portion of the land east of the Jordan was supposed to be a Palestinian homeland (and they got 77% of the land), and the part WEST of the Jordan was a Jewish homeland. Then Jordan seized the West Bank. Bad.

How many times is Jerusalem mentioned in the Old Testament?

Netanyahu told a parliamentary session commemorating Israel’s capture of East Jerusalem from Jordan in the 1967 war that “Jerusalem” and its alternative Hebrew name “Zion” appear 850 times in the Old Testament, Judaism’s core canon.

Which country invaded Israel after the British left?

The Jews accepted, and established Israel the day the British left. The Arabs rejected it, and invaded Israel. They were defeated. Jordan then annexed the West Bank, instead of allowing the Palestinians to establish the state mandated in the 1947 UN resolution.

Why are settlements not illegal?

While a more thorough discussion of why the settlements are not illegal is can be found in detail elsewhere , in short, the settlements are not illegal because there was not a sovereign from which Israel could “occupy” these settlements.

Which mountain ridge should Israel retain?

Israel should retain the Judea and Samaria’s mountain ridge. The ridge looks down on Israel’s coastal plain, which contains 70 percent of its population and 80 percent of its industry, and surrounds Jerusalem on three sides.

Why is the Jordan Valley important?

Retention of the Jordan Valley is vital given the prevention of smuggling of weapons, infiltration of terrorists, and land invasions.

How long is the border between Israel and Jordan?

With control of the Jordan Valley, Israel only needs to patrol a 62-mile long border, instead of the 223-mile long “Green Line.”.

What was the name of the country that invaded Judea and Samaria?

Jordan , which was created out of cloth by a partition of the British Mandate of Palestine, invaded Judea and Samaria (1948), annexed it (1950), lost it to Israel in a war that Jordan started (1967), and finally relinquished all claims to it (1988).

Why did Israel withdraw from Judea and Samaria?

An Israeli withdrawal from Judea and Samaria would likely not bring peace, because previous withdrawals have brought war. Israel withdrew from southern Lebanon in 2000, only to see Hizb’allah instigate war in 2006, as well as massively arm itself. Israel’s withdrawal from parts of Gaza and Judea and Samaria during the Oslo Accords in the 1990s was met with the Second Intifada (2000-2005). In exchange for Israel’s full civilian and military withdrawal from Gaza in 2005, Hamas gave Israel at least three wars. Since 2005, Hamas massively armed itself, and other terrorist groups have set up shop in Gaza as well. Lastly, while the benefits of Israel’s peace with Egypt should not be understated, there are now jihadi groups in Sinai targeting Israel, despite Israel completely withdrawing its civilian population from there in the 1980s.

When did Israel withdraw from Lebanon?

Israel withdrew from southern Lebanon in 2000, only to see Hizb’allah instigate war in 2006, as well as massively arm itself. Israel’s withdrawal from parts of Gaza and Judea and Samaria during the Oslo Accords in the 1990s was met with the Second Intifada (2000-2005).

Where are the Israeli settlements?

Israeli settlements currently exist in the Palestinian territory of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and in the Syrian territory of the Golan Heights. East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights have been annexed by Israel, so residents are treated equivalently to the rest of Israel under Israeli law.

What are the settlements in East Jerusalem?

East Jerusalem settlements (2006) Golan Heights settlements (1992) Israeli settlements, or Israeli colonies, are civilian communities inhabited by Israeli citizens, almost exclusively of Jewish ethnicity, built in violation of international law on lands occupied by Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War. Israeli settlements currently exist in ...

How many settlements were there in the Gaza Strip?

Before Israel's unilateral disengagement plan in which the Israeli settlements were evacuated, there were 21 settlements in the Gaza Strip under the administration of the Hof Aza Regional Council. The land was allocated in such a way that each Israeli settler disposed of 400 times the land available to the Palestinian refugees, and 20 times the volume of water allowed to the peasant farmers of the Strip.

What was the Allon Plan?

It implied Israeli annexation of major parts of the Israeli-occupied territories, especially East Jerusalem, Gush Etzion and the Jordan Valley. The settlement policy of the government of Yitzhak Rabin was also derived from the Allon Plan.

How was Kiryat Arba established?

According to a secret document dating to 1970, obtained by Haaretz, the settlement of Kiryat Arba was established by confiscating land by military order and falsely representing the project as being strictly for military use while in reality, Kiryat Arba was planned for settler use.

What territories did Israel control?

It took over the remainder of the Palestinian Mandate territories of the West Bank including East Jerusalem, from Jordan which had controlled the territories since the 1948 Arab-Israeli war, and the Gaza Strip from Egypt, which had held Gaza under occupation since 1949. From Egypt it also captured the Sinai Peninsula and from Syria it captured most of the Golan Heights, which since 1981 has been administered under the Golan Heights Law .

How does settlement affect the economy?

Settlement has an economic dimension, much of it driven by the significantly lower costs of housing for Israeli citizens living in Israeli settlements compared to the cost of housing and living in Israel proper. Government spending per citizen in the settlements is double that spent per Israeli citizen in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, while government spending for settlers in isolated Israeli settlements is three times the Israeli national average. Most of the spending goes to the security of the Israeli citizens living there.

Where are the settlements in Israel?

What are these settlements? They are Jewish communities built in Gaza, the West Bank and parts of East Jerusalem — areas captured by Israel during the 1967 war with neighboring Egypt, Jordan and Syria.

Why did Israel build a separation barrier?

Israelis say the barrier is to keep them safe. Palestinians say it amounts to nothing but a land grab and that the Israelis are taking water and other resources from Palestinian land.

What do Palestinians say about Israel?

Every time a settlement is built, Palestinians say, a little more is taken away from a future Palestinian state. The possibility of peace seems to grow less and less likely, and Palestinians accuse Israel of confiscating lands and taking away resources from the areas that Palestinians want for their statehood.

What are the security measures in the settlements?

The settlements have a lot of security measures including Jewish-only roads and restrictions that split up Palestinian territory, often making it difficult for people to get to work, visit family or even go to the hospital when they are sick.

What is the U.N. resolution condemning Israel for building Jewish settlements on disputed land?

A controversial U.N. Security Council resolution condemning Israel for building Jewish settlements on disputed land has ripped open old wounds. Secretary of State John Kerry warned in his last major Mideast speech Wednesday that Israel was abandoning its chance for a two-state solution if it did not stop its settlement practices in ...

When did Israel withdraw from Gaza?

In 2005, Israel withdrew from Gaza and later placed a blockade on the Hamas-ruled territory. Israel has since fought two wars there. The West Bank and East Jerusalem are still in Israeli hands, although they are nominally governed by the Palestinian Authority based in Ramallah.

Is settlement activity illegitimate?

Washington, along with most of the world’s governments, continues to consider settlement activity illegitimate.

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 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.

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.

What's up with the reviews of Haribo gummy bears on amazon?

There are thousands of reviews that are just out of this world for the 5lb Haribo gummy bears. Am I missing something?

What is going on with the eviction Moratorium and how does it effect the economy?

"The eviction moratorium is about to expire – and the situation is dire | US politics | The Guardian" https://amp.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/jul/29/the-eviction-moratorium-is-about-to-expire-and-the-situation-is-dire

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Overview

Settlement expansion

On 19 June 2011, Haaretz reported that the Israeli cabinet voted to revoke Defense Minister Ehud Barak's authority to veto new settlement construction in the West Bank, by transferring this authority from the Agriculture Ministry, headed by Barak ally Orit Noked, to the Prime Minister's office.
In 2009, newly elected Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: "I have no intention of building n…

Housing costs and state subventions

Settlement has an economic dimension, much of it driven by the significantly lower costs of housing for Israeli citizens living in Israeli settlements compared to the cost of housing and living in Israel proper. Government spending per citizen in the settlements is double that spent per Israeli citizen in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, while government spending for settlers in isolated Israeli settlements is three times the Israeli national average. Most of the spending goes to the securit…

Number of settlements and inhabitants

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. 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.

Character: rural and urban

Settlements range in character from farming communities and frontier villages to urban suburbs and neighborhoods. The four largest settlements, Modi'in Illit, Ma'ale Adumim, Beitar Illit and Ariel, have achieved city status. Ariel has 18,000 residents, while the rest have around 37,000 to 55,500 each.

History

Following the 1967 Six-Day War, Israel occupied a number of territories. It took over the remainder of the Palestinian Mandate territories of the West Bank including East Jerusalem, from Jordan which had controlled the territories since the 1948 Arab-Israeli war, and the Gaza Strip from Egypt, which had held Gaza under occupation since 1949. From Egypt, it also captured the Sinai Peninsula a…

Geography and municipal status

Some settlements are self-contained cities with a stable population in the tens of thousands, infrastructure, and all other features of permanence. Examples are Beitar Illit (a city of close to 45,000 residents), Ma'ale Adumim, Modi'in Illit, and Ariel (almost 20,000 residents). Some are towns with a local council status with populations of 2,000–20,0000, such as Alfei Menashe, Eli, Elkana, Efrat and Kirya…

Types of settlement

• Cities/towns: Ariel, Betar Illit, Modi'in Illit and Ma'ale Adumim.
• Urban suburbs, such as Har Gilo.
• Block settlements, such as Gush Etzion and settlements in the Nablus area.
• Frontier villages, such as those along the Jordan River.

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