Settlement Construction Approved in the So-Called “West Bank”
- Israel finally approved 2,860 new housing units in settlements across Judea and Samaria which will be spread across 30 different settlements.
- They also approved 1,303 units for Palestinians in Area C in Judea and Samaria spreading across 6 Arab villages.
Media Versus Truth
Organizations like Peace Now and the mainstream media would have you believe the story that Israel has not allowed the Palestinians to build any homes in the West Bank in more than ten years. Is that true? Let’s find out.
- The 1,300 units that were just approved by Benny Gantz are in Area C of the West Bank. The Palestinians already have Area A and Area B, what more do they want?
- There are three areas under the Oslo Accords – Jews are only allowed to build in Area C.
So who is the world discriminating against, Jews or Arabs?
United States Issues Harsh Criticism
United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken had some harsh criticism for Israel over their recent approval to build more homes in the West Bank. In a tense phone call between Blinken and Israel Defense Minister Benny Gantz, he said that the construction decision was “unacceptable”. He told Gantz that he “expects Israel to pay greater consideration in the future to the U.S. position on the settlements.”
Ned Price, spokesman for the U.S. Department of State said,
“When it comes to what we’ve heard recently, we are deeply concerned about the Israeli government’s plan to advance thousands of settlement units tomorrow, Wednesday, many of them deep in the West Bank. In addition, we’re concerned about the publication of tenders on Sunday for 1,300 settlement units in a number of West Bank settlements. We strongly oppose the expansion of settlements, which is completely inconsistent with efforts to lower tensions and to ensure calm, and it damages the prospects for a two-state solution. We have been consistent and clear in our statements to this effect. We also view plans for the retroactive legalization of illegal outposts as unacceptable.”
Benny Gantz Tries to Appease Antony Blinken
Benny Gantz told Antony Blinken that he had gotten the number of housing units that were approved down as low as possible. He also said that he understood the U.S. administration’s sensitivities regarding the West Bank settlements and would take them into account in the future.
Gantz then talked about how in addition to approving new housing units for Jewish settlements, he has been taking steps to strengthen the Palestinian Authority and to improve the lives of Palestinians. Benny Gantz spoke of approving 1,300 units for PA residents, something that has not happened in over ten years.
By the way, this is not what it sounds like. Arabs can already build in Area A and B without Israel’s approval; Gantz is just referring to building housing units in Area C. Benny Gantz also spoke about being criticized for meeting with Mahmoud Abbas and for approving the registration of 4,000 Palestinians in Judea and Samaria. He said: “I plan to take more such steps soon.”
United Nations Also Bashes Israel
Michelle Bachelet, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, condemned Israel’s decision to classify six Palestinian Arab organizations as terrorist entities and called for the move to be immediately reversed. She said,
“This is an attack on human rights defenders, on freedoms of association, opinion and expression and on the right to public participation, these groups are some of the most reputable human rights and humanitarian groups in the occupied Palestinian territory and for decades have worked closely with the UN.”
United States Pushes to Open US-Palestinian Consulate in Jerusalem
The Biden Administration is now pressuring Israeli officials to abandon Israel’s sovereignty over the entire city of Jerusalem. The first step is opening the consulate to the Palestinians in the heart of Jerusalem.
A Message to the Biden Administration
Imagine this as a 2022 headline… “After pressuring Israel to divide its capital city with its enemies in an effort to make peace, America has now decided that Washington DC should not only be America’s capital but will now be divided and shared with the Chinese government. Reports say that relations with the Chinese are now at an all time high.”
This would be ridiculous, right? Yet this is exactly what the United States is asking Israel to do: to divide its eternal and God-given capital!
