Israel Gives Green Light to 19 New Communities in Disputed West Bank

The nation's top security body has formally approved the formalization of nineteen new settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories, signaling a ongoing campaign for territorial growth.

Hardline Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who lives in a settlement and proposed the move in concert with Defence Minister Israel Katz, declared that the move was about blocking the creation of a Palestinian state.

It is important to note that Jewish communities in the occupied West Bank are deemed illegal.

The decision has sparked censure from Saudi Arabia. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has commented that Israel's "persistent" settlement expansion fuels frictions, curtails Palestinians' access to land, and threatens the viability of a independent Palestine.

Increased Unrest and Diplomatic Repercussions

Unrest in the occupied West Bank has escalated since the hostilities in the Gaza Strip began in the autumn of 2023, further heightening apprehensions that settlement expansion could solidify the Israeli presence and undermine the prospects for a two-state solution.

The concept of two states refers to the formation of a State of Palestine in the Palestinian territories, with East Jerusalem as its capital, largely along the lines that existed prior to the 1967 Arab-Israeli war.

Upon assuming leadership in late 2022, the present Israeli government has greatly accelerated the green-lighting of new settlements and started the process of legalization for informal outposts, classifying them as "neighbourhoods" of established communities.

A Pattern of Expansion

The latest approval takes the total number of communities recognized over the last three years to sixty-nine, as stated by the Finance Minister.

These authorizations are announced only a few days after the UN stated that settlement expansion had hit its highest level since the year 2017.

The most recent group of authorizations includes the revival of two settlements — Ganim and Kadim — which were evacuated nearly two decades ago.

In a previous move, Israel authorized 22 new settlements in the territories - described as the largest expansion in decades.

Furthermore, the Israeli government also approved projects last summer to construct over 3,000 housing units in the so-called E1 area between the capital and the Maale Adumim community, a project that had been on hold for decades amid fierce international objection.

Regarding that plan, Smotrich said it would "bury the notion of a Palestinian state."

Population Realities and International Response

Approximately 700,000 settlers dwell in around 160 communities in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, according to the Israeli monitoring organization Peace Now. This is land that Palestinians aspire to have for a prospective independent state.

Settlement expansion has drawn ire from neighboring countries who have consistently argued it harms prospects for a peaceful two-state outcome.

It has furthermore raised anxieties about the possible incorporation of the occupied West Bank.

Former American President Donald Trump had once warned Israel about this step, stating to TIME magazine that Israel would lose all its support from the US if it proceeded.

In a policy change, the UK - together with other countries including Australia and Canada - formally recognized a Palestinian state, a notable although primarily ceremonial adjustment in foreign policy.

The Israeli government opposed the move, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asserting that a Palestinian state "is not going to occur."