The Israeli authorities have approved the construction of 2,342 new housing units in the settlements, which have been booming since the arrival of Donald Trump, a key ally of Benyamin Netanyahu.
This is the sad routine of the occupied Palestinian territories. The Israeli authorities approved in October the construction of 2,342 new homes in Israeli settlements in the Palestinian territories, which have been booming since Donald Trump, Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu's key ally, arrived at the White House.
The High Planning Committee of the Israeli Civil Authority approved the construction of these homes during a meeting on October 10, but details had not filtered so far, announced Thursday, October 31, in a statement by the Israeli organization Peace Now, which was able to consult the minutes of this meeting.
The authorities approved, among other things, the construction of 182 units in the former wild settlement of Mevoot Yericho, near Jericho, in the West Bank, which had been legalized – under Israeli law – by Netanyahu's government two days before the elections legislative elections in September. Colonies are all illegal under international law.
The prime minister – whose political survival is threatened after elections that had not made a clear winner and who courted the electorate of Israeli settlements in the polls – promised to annex most of the Jordan Valley. he was reappointed.
Israeli authorities have also approved the construction of 382 housing units in Dolev, another settlement in the West Bank, thereby validating an announcement made on the spot by Netanyahu after the murder, in August, of a young Israeli woman in a prison. homemade bomb attack.
8,337 dwellings in the colonies
These new announcements bring to 8,337 the number of approved housing units in Israeli settlements in the Palestinian territories since the beginning of the year, an increase of 48% in one year, according to a calculation by the Agence France-Presse based on data from Peace Now, an NGO that closely follows this thorny issue.
In addition to these units, the Israeli authorities approved earlier this week the construction of a road tunnel around Bethlehem, "What should increase significantly" the number of settlers settling around this Palestinian city on the outskirts of Jerusalem in the West Bank.
Israel's colonization of the West Bank and East Jerusalem has continued under all Israeli governments since 1967. More than 600,000 Israeli settlers live in these territories, home to nearly three million Palestinians.
Acceleration of colonization with Trump
Colonization has accelerated in recent years under the leadership of Prime Minister Netanyahu and his ally in Washington, President Donald Trump.
The latter has shifted its regional policy in favor of Israel, recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of the Jewish state and cutting funds for the Palestinians. The Palestinians hope to establish in East Jerusalem the capital of the state to which they aspire.
According to data compiled by Peace Now, the number of approved housing units in the settlements since Donald Trump became president of the United States almost doubled (+ 90%).
They spent an average of 3,635 units a year in the three years preceding his term, averaging 6,899 per year since his arrival at the White House.
Mr. "Netanyahu continues to sabotage the possibility of a political agreement with the Palestinians by promoting housing units in settlements in the West Bank, including in places that Israel should have to evacuate in the event of future agreement ", commented the NGO.
The two-state solution provides for the establishment and recognition of a Palestinian state alongside Israel. But the expansion of settlements in Palestinian territories makes such a solution more and more uncertain.
The political future of Netanyahu, a defender of settlements, remains unresolved since he failed to form a government after the September elections.
His rival, Benny Gantz, former head of the army at the head of the centrist party Kahol Lavan (Blue White), now has until November 20 to form a government, otherwise the country could move towards a 3e election in less than a year, with possible new promises for settlers.