Israel sanction the occupation on the west bank. Approved 22 housing estates

The Israeli Ministry of Defense announced on Thursday that the government approved 22 Jewish housing estates on the occupied west bank. The permit includes the construction of new institutions and the legalization of existing ones. There are already over 140 housing estates in the west bank, which fuels the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

It is a “historical decision” that will strengthen “strategic control over all parts of Judea and Samaria” and prevent the “emergence of the Palestinian state” – noted in the ministry's communiqué. In Israel, “Judea and Samaria” is the official term for the territory described in the world as the West Bank of Jordan or Cisjordan.

Nearly 3 million Palestinians and over half a million Jewish settlers have lived on the western shore occupied by Israel since 1967. There are 141 settlements recognized by the Israeli authorities and 224 illegal settlements from the point of view of the authorities in Jerusalem. Most of the world countries recognize all Jewish settlement in this area as incompatible with international law.

The construction of housing estates has accelerated in recent years and is supported, among others by extremely nationalist groups that are part of the current Israeli government.

“This is a great day for the settlement movement and the Israeli state (…) Settlement of our homeland is a shield that protects the state of Israel,” commented Minister of Finance Becalel Smoticz, who is the leader of supporting the settlement of the religious party Sionism.

Inhabitants of Jewish housing estates have Israeli citizenship. Religious motivations, but also strategic-political and economic motivations are behind the expansion of settlement in the occupied areas.

22 of the newly approved housing estates include the legalization of nine existing, but not recognized by the authorities of the institutions, but also the creation of new, including the Palestinian territory, and the reconstruction of several points removed earlier by Israel – calculated the daily “Haarec”.

Palestinians recognize the expansion of Jewish settlement as an attempt to actual annexation and an obstacle in building their future independent state.

Israel has long been accused of violating the rights of Palestinians in occupied territories, including forced resettlement and taking over the land. In recent years, the activity of Jewish extremists and their violence against Palestinians has been growing, which is also noted by Israeli security services.

From Jerusalem Jerzy Adamiak (PAP)

adj/ ap/