Jewish National and Religious “Settlement”: Latest Plans and Challenges

Donald Trump's return to the White House coincides with renewed Israeli calls to increase "settlement", leading to the annexation of the West Bank, and the consolidation of the occupation in the Gaza Strip (and perhaps "settlement" there). These are policies that the administration of current US President Joe Biden "encouraged" when it objected to them "verbally" and failed to stop them. It is known that Israel, in light of this extremist Jewish nationalist and religious momentum, continues to violate international laws and UN resolutions, ignoring calls from the international community to stop "settlement" measures that undermine the chances of peace. Despite global rejection, and with it the categorical Palestinian rejection, the occupation authorities and the "settler state" continue their plans to annex more lands through the escalation of land confiscations and the construction of colonies/"settlements."

At the same time, the West Bank is witnessing a major escalation in the violence committed by settlers against Palestinians, such as: attacks on property, burning homes, attacks on cars, desecration of mosques, running over, etc., which are examples of the daily blatant violations targeting Palestinians. These and other crimes are accompanied by clear disregard from the Israeli government and its military and security apparatus, reaching the point of blatant collusion between the government and the "settlers", especially in areas controlled by the religiously "obsessed" right!

The "settlement" plans promoted by the nationalist and religious right are very clear in their goals and colonial plans; this "settlement" is being strengthened along strategic roads such as the "Alon Road" and "Road 60" with the aim of dismembering the Palestinian lands and strengthening Israeli control over them. In parallel, new "settlements" are being built in areas that were previously considered part of the evacuation plans under previous peace proposals, such as the "Jordan Valley" settlements and the northern mountainous part of the West Bank. Existing "settlements" such as "Ariel", "Eli", and "Shilo" are being expanded in a move to tighten control over the Palestinian lands, especially in the areas north of Ramallah and the Jordan Valley, and new "settlements" are being established in areas such as the Hebron Hills and the Jordan Valley, with the aim of creating "settlement" continuity in geographically important areas that would isolate the Palestinians from their urban centers. "Settlement" is also being strengthened in Jerusalem and severing the connection between East Jerusalem and Palestinian cities such as Ramallah and Bethlehem, which means a direct threat to the Palestinians' ability to establish a sovereign state. In addition, huge sums of money from the Israeli government budget are allocated to accelerate the development of these “settlement” projects, including the construction of roads and infrastructure necessary to support these colonies.

The Israeli government, under the leadership of Smotrich and Ben-Gvir, continues to advance its expansionist plans by strengthening “illegal settlements” (and all “settlements” are, of course, illegal!). At the same time, these “settlements” are being legalized and transformed into “official settlements!” through government financial, legislative, and military/security support. This close cooperation between government ministries and Jewish local councils in the “West Bank” ensures that these policies continue to be implemented, in the absence of any serious “leftist” or “liberal” opposition from within Israel. The figures from the Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics regarding the population in the West Bank until August 2024 show that the nationalist and religious right is having difficulty achieving its “settlement”/colonial goals due to demographic challenges, as the rate of increase in the number of “settlers” in the Palestinian territories is slowing down. “However, these messianic ambitions face a different demographic reality. Data from the Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics on the population of the West Bank, up until the end of August 2024, reveal the great failure of the messianic right. Despite the efforts made to increase the number of settlers in the West Bank, the increase in their numbers is slowing down, and the reality does not match the drawn vision.”

"Settlement" in the West Bank is not an inevitable fate, but can be confronted through various means despite the escalation policies, and despite the frantic Israeli push for it (from all parties, including the classic Israeli opposition forces); the resistance of the Palestinian people and its forces and living movements (most notably the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, which has a global reach) remains the basis for confronting these plans, without neglecting the role of international law - as well, as it provides powerful tools to obstruct "settlement". Security Council Resolution No. 2334 of 2016, as well as the ruling issued by the International Court of Justice in July 2024, confirmed that "settlements" are a flagrant violation of international law, and called for an end to the occupation. In this context, it is necessary to draw inspiration from the South African experience in boycotting the apartheid regime, and it is possible to increase the imposition of international sanctions on the "settlers", and the beginnings of these sanctions came from the United States and some Western countries (historically allied with the Zionist state). However, the fate of the latter depends entirely on what the new administration's ships dock on. In all cases and circumstances, it is always necessary to mobilize various types of internal and external resistance to the “settlement” movement, because historically: neither injustice nor the theft of others’ lands lasts!