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Israel plans for 22 more settlements in the West Bank [1]

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Date: 2025-05-31

The West Bank occupation by Israel has been a problem since the 1967 war where it was taken from Jordan. The United Nations and most every country says the settlements are illegal. Israel doesn't see it that way.

The settlements are a major factor why there can never be a two state solution with Israel's current course.

It's a big chunk of land next to Israel and useful for many things. There are olive groves for one. Many of them have been uprooted to make land available to Israeli settlers.

There are regular outbreaks of violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians.

The expansion will also "legalize" outposts already established by Israeli settlers without government approval.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said the new settlements, "reinforces our sovereignty over Judea and Samaria," using the biblical names for the West Bank. He added that it was also, "a strategic move that prevents the establishment of a Palestinian state that would endanger Israel."

Source: Peace Now May 2025.

He comes right out and bluntly states that the current government of Israel has no intention of there ever being a Palestinian state. This after Israel has also said that the people of Gaza will be removed and Gaza annexed. Back in March, Israel said it would occupy Gaza and rule the Palestinisns. Plans have changed.

Israel has reportedly accepted a US proposal between Israel and Hamas. Hamas demands that there be a permanent end to the war, which Israel has refused to negotiate. What point is there to a ceasefire, if Israel isn't going to ever end the war?

Israel has 700,000 settlers in the West Bank along with 3.3 million Palestinians. Expansion of the settlements has sharply increased since Netanyahu became Prime Minister again in 2022. The October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas has given Israel another excuse to take over more of the West Bank. Palestinians are the enemy now, in Gaza and elsewhere.

Bezalel Smotrich, a settler who has control over planning in the West Bank called the new settlements a, "once-in-a-generation decision. Next step sovereignty!" That's what settlers want, for there to no longer be a West Bank, but a new part of Israel. Annexation of the territory.

Elisha Ben Kimon, and Israeli journalist, said, "I think that Israel is a few steps from declaring this area as Israeli territory. They believe that this period will never be coming back, this is one opportunity that they don't want to slip from their hands --- that's why they're doing this now."

Israel annexed East Jerusalem in 1980, not recognized by most of the world. Donald Trump recognized Jerusalem to be Israel's capital in 2017 and began moving the American Embassy there. This has not helped matters.

New settlements mean new areas that Palestinians have to go around to get to their own lands. Since the October attack, settlers have armed themselves more heavily. Outbreaks of violence over land and resources continue at a faster pace.

When each group has claims to the same lands going back thousands of years, it is an ancient conflict that shows no end in sight.

If Kimon is correct, and these new settlements are a prelude to Israel's annexation of the whole West Bank, what happens then?

Donald Trump would most likely rubber stamp Israel's actions. The rest of the world, just the opposite.

If this continues, we might start hearing people using the term "lebensraum" ​​​in describing Israel's actions. That would be unfortunate because of it's history.

On Monday, there was a violent march through the Muslim quarter of the Old City in Jerusalem with chants of "Gaza is ours," "death to the Arabs," and "may their villages burn." The is annual march is paid for by the Jerusalem city government to celebrate the capture of East Jerusalem and holy sites in the 1967 war. One banner carried said "Jerusalem 1967, Gaza 2025." Not exactly subtle. Another read, "without a Nakba there is no victory." The Nakba was the forcible expulsion of 700,000 Palestinians in 1948 to create the state of Israel.

There are also many Israelis who think the settlements are wrong and completely oppose the far right government of Netanyahu. It is only the Gaza war that has kept him in power.

The new settlements won't help things.

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