Three days before the Trump-Netanyahu meeting, Israel is expanding its control in the occupied West Bank. The measures adopted and the categorical reaction of the Palestinians
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Photo: Julia Nikhinson / AP / Profimedia
Israel's security cabinet on Sunday approved a series of measures that will, among other things, make it easier for settlers to buy land in the occupied West Bank, paving the way for an expansion of Jewish settlements, according to Reuters and AFP.
The West Bank has been occupied by Israel since 1967, and much of the territory is under Israeli military control, while in some areas there is limited Palestinian autonomy managed by the Palestinian Authority.
“The Security Cabinet today adopted a series of decisions (…) that fundamentally change the legal and civil reality in Judea and Samaria,” said a statement, which uses the area's biblical name.
The measures taken
Among the measures is the removal of decades-old regulations that prevented private Jewish citizens from buying land in the West Bank. Until now, settlers could only make these purchases through companies registered with the Israeli local government body, according to Haaretz.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said that “Judea and Samaria are the heart of the country, and their consolidation is a primary national and Zionist security interest.”
Until now, the modification of buildings in the city's Jewish community required both the approval of the local authorities and that of the Israeli authorities, The Times of Israel explained, citing the statement of the security cabinet. With the new measures, such changes will only need Israeli approval.
“We are committed to removing barriers, creating legal and civil certainty, and enabling settlers to live, build and develop on an equal footing with every citizen of Israel,” Katz was quoted as saying in the statement.
In addition, according to the statement, the measures will allow Israeli authorities to administer certain religious sites even when they are located in areas under the control of the Palestinian Authority.
Palestinians accuse of 'attempted annexation'
The Palestinian presidency in Ramallah condemned the measures, saying they were aimed at intensifying “attempts to annex the occupied West Bank”.
The presidency said the “decisions reflect an open Israeli attempt to legalize settlement expansion, confiscation of land and demolition of Palestinian property, even in areas under Palestinian sovereignty.”
The new measures come just three days before the meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump in Washington.
Trump has ruled out an Israeli annexation of the West Bank, but his administration has not tried to stop the rapid development of Jewish settlements, which the Palestinians say undermines their possibility of a state by gradually shrinking their territory.
Netanyahu, who will face elections this year, sees the establishment of a Palestinian state as a threat to Israel. Its ruling coalition includes many pro-settler members who want the annexation of the West Bank, territory with which Israel claims biblical and historical ties.
