Settlement expansion, one objective of the Zionist American “Arab Spring project”

Many political analysts have agreed that Israel is the main beneficiary of the so-called Arab Spring for many reasons: first because it is a good way to start sectarian and regional wars in many Arab countries capitalizing on the unlimited financial and military support offered by some Arab and regional states to incite such wars. Another reason is that the “Arab spring” ensures a good opportunity for Israel to unbridle reins for its racist settlement policy in the occupied Arab territories with the aim of judaizing the Arab cities and changing their demographic and geographic status and wipe out their genuine Arab identity to perpetuate its occupation of the Arab territories.

Despite the international condemnation of Israel’s expansionist settlement policy, Netanyahu’s government is pressing ahead with settlement construction paying no heed to all calls to stop such illegal racist activities. Netanyahu’s government also ignored the calls delivered by its close US and Western allies.  The US Secretary of State John Kerry said in recent statement that all Israeli settlements on the occupied Palestinian territories are illegal. But in an apparent response to its close ally’s statement, which shows complete disregard, the Israeli government said it plans to build thousands of settlement units in the occupied West Bank. The European Union has also warned that the Israeli regime’s decision to approve the construction of some 1,200 settlement units in the occupied Palestinian territories was “illegal.” But of course, the EU call was similar to the US call with regard to the Israeli irresponsible reaction.

Netanyahu’s government has approved the construction of another 942 settlement units in the occupied East Jerusalem. The decision was denounced even by the Israelis themselves. Jerusalem municipal councillor Yosef  Pepe Alalu said that  this is a terrible decision which is a provocation against the Palestinians, the Americans and the whole world who oppose continued settlement building. The new construction plans are in addition to the 1,200 settlement units approved by Tel Aviv earlier.  The Israeli racist move, which came ahead of the Palestinian Israeli talks, was counterproductive and complicates the atmosphere of the talks which were held under pressure from the United States on the Palestinian officials. The settlement plans contradict the principle of confidence and goodwill that the resumption of negotiations should have provided. The settlement activity is deepening the Palestinian people’s mistrust in the seriousness on the Israeli side toward achieving peace. It will ultimately render a two-state solution impossible. It shows that the Israelis want neither a one-state solution nor a two-state solution for Palestine; rather they want a no-state solution and perpetuate their occupation of the Arab territories.  The Israelis, especially the extremists like Netanyahu, are presenting neither the one-state solution nor the two-state solution. It is more of a no-state solution, meaning, they want no viable state for Palestine, because their only pre-occupation is to perpetuate Israeli occupation of the Arab territories and constructing settlements to meet the influx of Jewish settlers from various parts of the world.

More than half a million Israelis live in over 120 illegal settlements built since Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories of the West Bank and East Jerusalem in 1967.  Israeli settlements in the West Bank are illegal under international law and threaten to make a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict impossible. The Israeli Housing Minister Uri Ariel announced the decision of constructing more settlements just days before second round of US-mediated negotiations between Palestinian Authority (PA) and Israeli officials.  He noted that the Tel Aviv will continue its settlement expansion activities, referring that Israel will continue to market housing claiming that this is the right thing at the present time, for Zionism and for the Israeli economy. The announcement of such plans on the eve of a new round of negotiations held in August 14 is new evidence that Israel was not serious about negotiations with the Palestinian side and the aim of the negotiations to the Israelis is just buying time to implement its racist settlement expansion policies and mislead the world public opinion by showing that Israel is keen on peace and the two states solution. In fact, Tel Aviv’s recent announcement indicates its bad faith and lack of seriousness in the US-backed talks between Palestinians and Israelis.

Israeli settlements are considered illegal by the UN and most countries because the Palestinian territories were occupied by Israel in the Six-Day War of 1967, and are hence seen as being subject to the Geneva Conventions, which forbid construction on occupied lands.  The presence and continued expansion of Israeli settlements in occupied Palestine has created a major obstacle for the efforts to establish peace in the Middle East.  Earlier, the occupation government adopted the racist Prawer-Begin plan that would lead to the confiscation of 800,000 dunums of land and forced displacement of 40,000 Palestinians in Negev, in addition to the destruction of 36 villages. This racist plan to build settlements comes in the context of Israel going too far in the process of ethnic cleansing against our Palestinian Arab people and land confiscation and displacement of Palestinian residents. This sinister plan is part of the racist ethnic cleansing policies that Israel has practiced against the Palestinians in occupied Palestine since 1948 with the aim to Judaize the land and put an end to what is left of Palestine Cause with its historical, geographic, demographic and heritage dimensions.

The Prawer-Begin plan is dangerous constituting a blatant violation of the international law and its principles, particularly those related to human rights. Approximately 540 internal checkpoints, roadblocks and other physical obstacles impede Palestinian movement within the West Bank; these obstacles exist primarily to protect settlers and facilitate their movement, including to and from Israel, while at the same time seizing the Palestinian land, blockading their towns and villages and hindering their movement.

The continuity of settlement construction, expansion and encroachment on Palestinian land and water resources are integral parts of the ongoing fragmentation of the West Bank, including the isolation of East Jerusalem. This fragmentation undermines the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, which is to be realized with the creation of a viable and contiguous Palestinian state alongside Israel.  Settlements are illegal under international law as they violate Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, which prohibits the transfer of the occupying power’s civilian population into occupied territory. This has been confirmed by the International Court of Justice, the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention and the United Nations Security Council. The failure to respect international law, along with the lack of adequate law enforcement vis-à-vis settler violence and takeover of land has led to a state of impunity, which encourages further violence and undermines the physical security and livelihoods of Palestinians.

Israeli settlers in the West Bank consume approximately six times the water used by Palestinians in the West Bank. Seizure of land for settlement building and future expansion has resulted in the shrinking of space available for Palestinians to develop adequate housing, basic infrastructure and services and to sustain their livelihoods. These and related measures have contributed to the forced displacement of families and communities.

The Palestinian Authority should not commit new mistakes as it did in the past by holding talks for the sake of talks and enable Israel to buy time and present itself before the international community as a peace promoter country, but in fact it takes all racist and anti peace measures that impede peace and perpetuate occupation of the Palestinian territories. Palestinians should not make the same mistakes and to have talks for their own sake as Israel continues racist unilateral measures. The Israelis are using direct talks with the Palestinian Authority as a political cover for the implementation of the largest settlement project .The new settlement plans are not just dots on a map; they are wilful and destructive measures to prevent the creation of a Palestinian state and continue its occupation of the Arab territories. The Palestinian Authority should stop all kinds of contacts with Israel which should be sued through UN organizations for its sinister plans.

The unprecedented Zionist settler decisions which were announced by the occupation government is a conclusive proof that Israel’s first and last option remains expansionism, Judaization and theft of Palestinian and Arab lands, and not ending occupation and implementing the two-state solution on the basis of the 1967 borders.

K.Q.