West Bank
Israel’s new government continues settlement development
Israeli forces take up position during a demonstration against the expansion of settlements in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Photo: Shadi Jarar’ah / APA Images via ZUMA Wire / dpa / Archive
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Israel’s settlement policy is highly controversial. Nonetheless, the new government is continuing to build apartments in the occupied West Bank.
Israel’s new government is also continuing to develop settlements in the occupied West Bank. Tenders for the marketing of more than 1,300 apartments have been published, said a spokesman for Housing Minister Seew Elkin.
These include 729 apartments in the settler town of Ariel and 346 in the Beit El settlement. “We implement what we have promised,” said Elkin according to the information. After a long period of stagnation, he would “continue and strengthen the Jewish settlement of Judea and Samaria (West Bank)”.
During the Six Day War in 1967, Israel conquered the West Bank and East Jerusalem, among others. Around 600,000 Israelis now live there in more than 200 settlements. In 2016, the UN Security Council called these settlements a violation of international law and called on Israel to stop all settlement activities. The Palestinians want to set up their own state in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem.
New settlement activities could threaten the stability of the extremely diverse and fragile Israeli government under Naftali Bennett. It was sworn in in mid-June and consists of left and right parties and an Arab party. Mossi Raz, MP from the left-liberal Meretz party, sharply criticized Elkins’ decision. “The Jamina government doesn’t give a damn about Meretz – ten degrees further to the right than the previous government,” he said, according to the Jerusalem Post.
A few days ago reports had already been received about the planned approval of construction plans for more than 3,000 apartments in Israeli settlements and 1,300 apartments in Palestinian villages in the West Bank.
According to the newspaper, the Israeli organization Peace Now spoke of “proof that this is not a government of change”. Rather, it continues the policy of a “de facto annexation” of its predecessor Benjamin Netanyahu. “The Labor Party and Meretz have to wake up and demand that this wild construction activity in the settlements stop immediately.”