In a move which most analysts agree portends another massive expansion of the Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, the Civil Administration has brought in a special team to “remap” some 15,000 acres of “state-owned” land in the territory.
The remapping on the one hand is done to label territory as “military fire zones,” which is then used to justify the military expelling the Arabs living in those areas. The mapping is also a chance to declare Palestinian homes in those areas, even those built before the occupation, as “illegal” and give the land to settlements.
Israel’s far-right coalition has been massively expanding settlements in recent years, and it’s latest rightward shift is expected to fuel another round of building. That the remap is far larger than past ones suggests this building could be bigger than anyone figured.
Even as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu suggested he’s willing to negotiate a peace deal with the Palestinians along the Arab initiative, there is a growing sense that as the settlements expand in strategic areas and the Palestinian territory shrinks, the endeavor is quickly becoming an irreversible roadblock to Palestinian statehood.
In many ways this has been deliberate, with Israeli officials openly admitting that they are expanding it parts of the West Bank to ensure that there can be no contiguous Palestine there. With a growing, and hugely politically powerful group of settlers in the West Bank, there is less and less likelihood that Israel will ever come to the table to seriously negotiate.
“Even as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu suggested he’s willing to
negotiate a peace deal with the Palestinians along the Arab initiative,
there is a growing sense that as the settlements expand in strategic areas and the Palestinian territory shrinks, the endeavor is quickly becoming an irreversible roadblock to Palestinian statehood.
In many ways this has been deliberate, with Israeli officials openly
admitting that they are expanding it parts of the West Bank to ensure
that there can be no contiguous Palestine there. With a growing, and
hugely politically powerful group of settlers in the West Bank, there is
less and less likelihood that Israel will ever come to the table to
seriously negotiate.”
Hasbara disguised as analysis. Nonsense Jason. Nothing is carved in stone and certainly not the occupation of the West Bank or Gaza nor even the land Israel took from the Palestinians in the 1967 war.
And we will say: “the settlements are not helpful”, but won’t do anything about it. No military aid to Israel until they vacate the settlements
I’ll do you one better, Tom. No more aid to Israel, period, until they cease to be a racist apartheid state and form a single state with a full right of return for the robbed Palestinians.
The die was cast the day Kennedy demanded a reinspection of the Dimona nuclear facility in Israel, August 1963. Ben Gurion immediately resigned, three months later Kennedy was dead. The facility was never reinspected and once the Israeli’s had nuclear weapons, they were determined to finish making Eretz Israel a reality. Another one we owe Lyndon Johnson.
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I hate to say it but it might be time for another Intifada before there’s no more Palestine left to fight for.