Israeli settler councils drafting West Bank 'annexation' plan

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Israeli media
2 Dec 2024 08:51

A key component of the proposal involves dismantling the Palestinian Authority (PA) and placing Palestinian villages under full Israeli jurisdiction.

Listen

A general view of the Israeli settlement of Efrat, in the occupied West Bank, occupied Palestine, on Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024 (AP)

In the aftermath of Donald Trump’s re-election as US President, Israeli settler councils have been formulating a strategy to expedite the "annexation" of the occupied West Bank and other Palestinian territories, the Israeli newspaper Israel Hayom reported.

A central focus of this plan is the future control and usurpation of more Palestinian territories, with the aim of developing "an operational strategy ready for implementation during a potential Trump administration," the newspaper pointed out.

It revealed that a high-level meeting on the initiative included Avihai Boaron, a member of parliament from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ruling Likud party, along with representatives of various settler councils.

During the meeting, Boaron emphasized the urgency of the situation, describing it as “a critical juncture – a window of opportunity that we can utilize either wisely or squander."

"Taking the foolish path would merely result in 700,000 residents and additional housing units four years from now," Boaron indicated at the meeting.

He underscored that "the wise approach would establish conditions to make West Bank and the Jordan Valley inseparable from Israel – not just by creating demographic facts on the ground, but by fundamentally transforming the region's administrative framework."

According to Israeli Hayom, the plan proposes expanding the authority of settler councils to encompass regional council areas, thereby granting Israeli authorities control over interconnecting regions, not solely the settlements themselves.

What the scheme entails

A key component of the proposal involves dismantling the Palestinian Authority (PA) and placing Palestinian villages under full Israeli jurisdiction, the report noted.

Boaron stressed that "the two-state solution must be permanently removed from consideration through clear political directives."

He also seeks to ensure that US policy "doesn't simply resume from where the Deal of the Century left off, which effectively sought to constrain settlement growth."

An unnamed source involved in the initiative told Israel Hayom that "this demographic shift would fundamentally alter the region's character, ultimately leading to sovereignty."

Trump’s re-election has energized Israeli settler movements, which dominate Netanyahu’s government, giving them renewed hope for advancing "annexation" plans.

Haaretz reported in June that Miriam Adelson, widow of the late US businessman Sheldon Adelson, pledged at least $100 million to support Trump’s campaign, seeking US endorsement of Israeli "annexation" of the occupied West Bank.

US investigative journalist Seymour Hersh recently reported, citing a Washington official, that "Israel" may soon formally "annex" the West Bank, which has been under illegal Israeli occupation since 1967.

This comes as Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has reiterated calls for the full "annexation" of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, alongside further expansion of Israeli settlements in occupied territories.

Senior Hamas official Mahmoud al-Mardawi has warned against Israeli plans to "annex" the West Bank and forcibly displace Palestinians from their villages.

Since October 7 of last year, when "Israel" launched its war against Gaza, aggression against Palestinians in the West Bank has escalated, with hundreds killed and thousands injured by Israeli settlers or troops.

Currently, more than 700,000 Israelis reside in over 230 settlements established since "Israel’s" 1967 occupation of the West Bank and the eastern part of al-Quds, which are considered illegal under international law and the Geneva Conventions due to their construction on occupied land.