Johnson's visit to "Ariel".. an American endorsement of settlement and a challenge to the two-state solution.

Johnson's Visit Reflects Clear Support for the Settlement Project and Challenges International Efforts to Revitalize the Two-State Solution

In a symbolic and controversial move, US House Speaker Mike Johnson, accompanied by a delegation of Republican members of Congress, visited the Ariel settlement, built on Palestinian land in the northern occupied West Bank. This is the first visit of its kind at this high level. The visit comes amid growing international criticism of Israel over its ongoing aggression against the Gaza Strip, and coincides with an increase in Western and European recognition of the State of Palestine.

With this visit, the Israeli government and settler councils are seeking to create new facts on the ground through high-level political visits, with the aim of lending international and symbolic legitimacy to Israel's demands to impose sovereignty over the West Bank. During his visit to the settlement, which he described as "part of the land of the Jewish people," Johnson participated in symbolic activities such as planting trees, emphasizing "the importance of every corner of this country to us, especially since it is the cradle of our faith," referring to the occupied Palestinian territories, which right-wing Israeli discourse considers part of "Judea and Samaria," according to the biblical term.

In a diplomatic precedent with profound symbolic connotations, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, hosted Johnson and his wife, Kelly Lari, on Monday evening in the Shiloh settlement, north of Ramallah and al-Bireh. The visit was attended by US Ambassador to Tel Aviv Mike Huckabee and several members of Congress. This visit, which was titled "Strengthening Strategic Relations," is an implicit signal from Washington that it endorses Israeli sovereignty over the settlements, given the expansion of the settlement project and the undermining of any prospect for a two-state solution.

The visit threatens to pose further challenges to international efforts to revive the diplomatic track based on a two-state solution, especially with the escalation of tensions on the ground in the Palestinian territories. Analyzing the Israeli position, this visit carries serious political implications. Never before has a US official of this rank visited a settlement in the West Bank, even though Johnson holds the third-highest position in the US administration after the president and vice president.

From the Israeli perspective, this visit underscores the deep gap between the increasingly vocal international support for recognizing a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders and unconditional US support for Israel, even during times of political and legal isolation. Channel 7's political correspondent, Dvir Amar, noted that the visit carries dimensions that go beyond mere protocol and express a shift in US engagement with the West Bank, especially after voices within Congress began calling for Israel to exercise full sovereignty over the territories of Judea and Samaria.

In the context of political coverage, the newspaper Israel Hayom quoted the head of the Binyamin settlement council, Yisrael Gantz, as saying that hosting Johnson reflects the Israeli right's vision for long-term goals. He emphasized that the Trump administration supported Israeli sovereignty over Judea and Samaria, and that these territories have become a permanent part of the Jewish state.

From the perspective of Israeli analyst Elisha Ben Kimon, Gantz's statements during the visit carry profound political connotations and constitute a clear message to the international community in light of the major transformations in the region, particularly with the ongoing war on Gaza, increasing international pressure on Israel, and the accelerating European recognition of a Palestinian state. He believes that the main message is that Israel will not wait for international processes, but will impose its sovereignty de facto, taking advantage of the political moment and alliances within Congress.

Settlement

West Bank

Israeli Sovereignty