Israel Approves More Settlements in Occupied West Bank
Posted September 11, 2009
Israeli Defense Minister Barak and Prime Minister Netanyahu.
On Monday, the Israeli government officially authorized the expansion of West Bank settlements. With the approval of Ehud Barak, the Minister of Defense and leader of the Labor Party, 455 new units will be built in several settlements close both to Jerusalem and to the 1967 border. The move comes as parties try to finalize plans to restart peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians.
Many analysts have described this move as a balancing act on the part of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu between right-wing, pro-settlement groups in Israel and the demands of the international community. They believe that the prime minister and his government approved the new construction to placate settlers and their supporters in advance of announcing a freeze on settlement expansion. Yet, the government has refused any freeze on settlements that includes building in East Jerusalem. At the same time, Palestinian leadership has demanded a halt on all construction in the occupied West Bank before negotiations will resume.
While it’s true that Prime Minister Netanyahu faces a difficult task with a divided domestic constituency and a cabinet encompassing parties from the far right and the center left, such contradictory moves undermine Palestinian, American, and international faith in his commitment to peace and his ability to actually deliver on any agreement. The Obama administration condemned the approval before it was formally announced; UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called settlement expansion illegal; Arab states and the European Union also expressed their disapproval.
The question now is: what will anyone do about it? Israel is seeking to create an altered state of “facts on the ground” prior to the negotiations. Israel’s continued annexation of East Jerusalem makes any final settlement between the two parties that much more difficult, as continued expansion undermines Palestinian faith in Israel’s commitment to peace.
American envoy George Mitchell is due to return to the region this weekend. If the Obama administration is truly committed to peace in the region, Mitchell should demand that a full freeze be in place before proceeding any further. Mitchell can leverage support among Arab states and the wider international community. It is in the best interest of Israel, Palestine, their neighbors, and the US that final, equitable agreement be reached.
