Israel announced on Thursday its intention to move forward with contentious plans to construct thousands of new housing units in the occupied West Bank. This development has sparked significant backlash from various sectors, including Palestinian authorities and international observers, as it threatens to undermine the already tenuous prospects for a Palestinian state.
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who has been a vocal proponent of expanding settlements, stated that these developments would “permanently bury the idea of a Palestinian state.” Smotrich’s remarks indicate the broader strategy in action. The Israeli government has been advancing ever more aggressive measures to annex large swaths of the West Bank, a territory most agree is essential to forming a future Palestinian state.
Settlement Expansion Details
The Israeli government recently approved the largest expansion of Jewish settlements in the West Bank in more than three decades. This is a huge change from the originally signed Oslo Accords. You have created 22 new outposts. Many of these are located far inside the West Bank and in areas where Israel had long ago pulled out. According to Peace Now, an organization that monitors settlement growth, there were 141 settlements in the West Bank as of last year.
During a press conference held at the site of the planned construction, Smotrich announced the approval of 3,401 new housing units. He has garnered support for these initiatives from powerful supporters, including Yisrael Gantz, the head of the Yesha Council. Gantz rejoiced over the plans, hailing them as an accomplishment of a national vision.
“They will talk about a Palestinian dream, and we will continue to build a Jewish reality. This reality is what will permanently bury the idea of a Palestinian state, because there is nothing to recognize and no one to recognize,” – Bezalel Smotrich
This settlement policy has attracted international condemnation for increasing tensions in an already conflict-ridden region. The combination of increased settler violence and military operations has led to claims that these actions are “fueling an already tense situation on the ground and further eroding any possibility for peace.”
International Response and Implications
The international community continues to overwhelmingly see Israeli settlements across the West Bank as illegal under international law. These expansions have been denounced by the United Nations and many countries as an impediment to peaceful negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians. The recent approval of these housing units is expected to provoke further outrage from Palestinian authorities and those advocating for a two-state solution.
A spokesman for the Palestinian Authority described the Israeli government’s actions as a “dangerous escalation and a challenge to international legitimacy and international law.” This feeling resonates with three decades of growing infuriation with how settlement growth continues to sabotage attempts to secure a peaceful resolution.
The U.S. State Department has thus far kept its own on this sensitive issue. Under the Trump administration, the Department of State completely reversed course, declaring settlements to be “not inconsistent” with international law. Current U.S. officials have emphasized their focus on regional stability, with a spokesperson stating that “a stable West Bank keeps Israel secure and is in line with this administration’s goal to achieve peace in the region.”
The Future of Israeli-Palestinian Relations
As Israel moves forward with its settlement plans, many experts warn of dire consequences for both the Israeli and Palestinian populations. Peace Now has characterized these developments as “deadly for the future of Israel and for any chance of achieving a peaceful two-state solution.”
They contend that the current annexation campaign is pushing both sides away from a negotiated settlement. This can lead to endless litigation and absence of promising solutions.
“We are standing at the edge of an abyss, and the government is driving us forward at full speed. There is a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict… and it will ultimately come. The government’s annexation moves are taking us further away from this solution and guaranteeing many more years of bloodshed,” – Peace Now
Additionally, last year the Knesset adopted a resolution that cemented the Israeli government’s implacable opposition to Palestinian statehood into law. This recent development would make future negotiations impossible to enforce. The E1 settlement project has been on hold for decades due to decades of intense international pressure. Today it evokes fervent debate, for its approval would permanently connect Jerusalem to Maale Adumim, thus cutting any chance of a future Palestinian capital in East Jerusalem.
