Israeli settlers hopeful for full control of West Bank with Trump back
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Organizations like Peace Now have documented a record declaration of land theft in 2024, with 24,193 dunams (about 6,000 acres) of land in the West Bank stolen from the West Bank this year alone.
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A general view of the illegal settlement of Efrat, on Tuesday, November 12, 2024. (AP)
A report published on Reuters on Saturday has revealed that Israeli settlement activity in the occupied West Bank has reached record levels, fueling tensions with local Palestinians.
Advocates for land-grabbing are now pinning their hopes on former US President Donald Trump to back their push for imposing Israeli control over the area.
Under the leadership of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's fascist coalition, the West Bank has seen unprecedented growth in illegal settlements over the past two years.
This expansion has been accompanied by a sharp increase in settler violence, drawing international condemnation and sanctions.
Recent weeks have witnessed settlers claiming hilltops in areas such as the Jordan Valley, where Israeli flags now fly, heightening Palestinian fears of further land theft.
Settlers Eye Trump's Support
According to the report, settler leaders and advocates are optimistic about Trump's upcoming return to power, with some having held sessions "to pray" for his victory.
Yisrael Medad, a writer and illegal settler from the settlement of Shiloh, expressed confidence in Trump's alignment with their goals, citing his past decisions, including moving the US embassy to Al-Quds and rejecting the international consensus that settlements are illegal.
"We have high hopes. We're even buoyant to a certain extent," Medad told Reuters.
Read more: Israeli forces shot dead Palestinian woman harvesting olives
Trump has yet to outline his approach to the region, but his past administration's policies emboldened settlers to push forward with their vision of control over the West Bank.
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has publicly stated his hope that "Israel" could absorb the West Bank with Trump's backing as early as next year.
Israel Ganz, head of the Yesha Council, echoed this sentiment, expressing hope that the next US administration would facilitate their goals.
Diplomatic Concerns and Regional Risks
However, annexation would likely undermine the US's broader Middle East strategy, including efforts to expand the normalization accords by normalizing relations between "Israel" and Arab states like Saudi Arabia.
Former US negotiator Dennis Ross cautioned that Saudi Arabia would not consider joining the accords if "Israel" moved to formally annex the West Bank, a stance shared by most countries worldwide.
Palestinians, who view the West Bank as central to a future independent state, have condemned these developments.
Wasel Abu Yousef of the Palestine Liberation Organization called the push for sovereignty "an illegal seizure of Palestinian land" that violates international law.
Read more: West Bank children killed at unparalleled rate amid 'total oppression'
Ground Realities in the West Bank
On the ground, the expansion of settlements has drastically changed the region. The settlement of Shiloh, a hub of settler efforts, has grown alongside neighboring outposts, creating a network that encircles Palestinian villages.
Activists report that settlers are bypassing formal approval processes to construct new illegal outposts, often with support from Israeli authorities.
Organizations like Peace Now have documented a record declaration of land theft in 2024, with 24,193 dunams (about 6,000 acres) of land in the West Bank stolen as "state" land, marking the largest annual increase since the 1993 Oslo Accords.
An 'Irreversible Fact'?
Netanyahu’s fascist coalition has quietly shifted responsibilities for settlements from the military to civilian authorities, effectively entrenching Israeli control over the West Bank.
These moves are part of a broader strategy to establish "irreversible facts" on the ground, according to lawmakers like Ohad Tal, a member of Smotrich's faction.
Critics argue that these actions amount to de facto annexation, even without formal declarations.
"They are not legislating [annexation] now, saying 'We are annexing the West Bank', they are just doing it," said Ziv Stahl, a director of Yesh Din, another Israeli group that tracks settlements.
