What is the real story about Israel’s recent supposed “land grab” in the West Bank?

12.7 square kilometers (a bit less than 5 square miles) in the Jordan Valley was recently declared as Israeli state land. This is the largest single declaration of state land since the signing of the Oslo Accords in 1993. Did Israel just steal private Palestinian land? Is state land affected by the Oslo Accords? Does this indicate that Israel is inching closer to applying sovereignty in Judea and Samaria? Let’s find out the truth about this story, how these laws work, and how the media is skewing what is actually taking place.

How do the Oslo Accords affect the declaration of state land?

Essentially, Oslo does not affect state land in Judea and Samaria. State land is declared following an assessment of a specific region where they are primarily focusing on the following factors:

• Are there land records in question that prove ownership to Jews or Arabs?
• Is there agriculture in this area indicating that it is being farmed by either Jews or Arabs?
• Which area does this land in question fall into: A, B, or C?
• Is there the potential for archaeological discoveries in this area?

By assessing these factors, surveyors are then able to determine if the region in question is either private or state land. Today, state land is only designated within Area C, but when studying maps, one can determine that some of the state land allotted to Israel before the signing of the Oslo Accords now lies within Areas A and B. This means that the land is either no longer accessible to the Jewish people or only accessible as a means of travel, such as a road. 

The land in question falls between the Jewish communities of Maale Efrayim, Gitit, Masua, and Yafit, all of which are in Area C. Further proving that, even though the areas designated under the Oslo Accords have little relation to the declaration of state land, the entire 12.7 square kilometers is completely legal. With the allotment of state land, the Jewish people are then able to request permits to: begin construction on buildings or communities, start farms, etc.

Why is this controversial?

This declaration of land is so controversial that even the G7 Foreign Ministers have condemned Israel’s actions and have “urged the government of Israel to reverse this decision”. The reality however, is that private Palestinian land is not endangered by Israeli state land at all. If land is determined to be privately owned, that area will not be declared as Israeli state land. This means that even though groups like Peace Now will propagate that the land was priorly owned by a Palestinian, this is a blatant falsity when assessing the fundamental details of the actual law.

An additional reason this land declaration should not be controversial is because it is designated for use by the Israeli military (just as it was prior to this declaration). This fact may not seem significant at first, but after delving into the implications of what that means, it completely changes the context of the story.

How does land allotted to military use affect the use of state or private land?

Typically, land designated for use by the IDF does not allow any sort of construction within its area and only occasionally allows farming and agriculture. That being said, since this land has now been deemed Israeli state land, building permits for new houses or communities may be possible. It is not guaranteed, but it is possible. 

What about the claim that Israel plans to apply sovereignty in Judea and Samaria?

Not only has the world decidedly claimed that Israel is stealing this land from Palestinians but they’re also fretting that this is a strategic declaration in order to cement Israel’s presence in Judea and Samaria. Even though there is no evidence that Israel is moving toward sovereignty in the near future, the claim that this is a strategic location to reaffirm Jewish presence in these areas may be a significant one. 

The well known, yet highly debated fact, is that Israel and the Jewish people have an undeniable and completely legitimate right to all of Israel, including Judea and Samaria. Since this is so contested, Israel must make strategic and intentional decisions as to the best way to affirm and reestablish a Jewish presence in this region. On the opposite side of the aisle, Palestinian-Arabs use illegal methods to lay claim to land in Israel’s Heartland! The act of claiming more land is typically done using illegal methods by Arabs. The Jewish people typically go through the legal process of building in the regions designated for them (i.e. within Area C, within state land, and with the proper permits). The Arabs however, take a starkly different approach. Their methods of amassing more land generally look like this:

• Squatting on Area C (Israeli controlled) land, despite the excess of land at their disposal in Areas A and B
• Illegally constructing EU-funded schools in the areas they are squatting on in order to gain more international attention if said school is demolished by Israel
• Manipulate and convince the masses that they are the rightful owner of land until the world allows, and even encourages,  Arab villages to illegally reside within the parameters of Area C, thus costing Israel more of their historic homeland. 

To summarize, Israel may have chosen this piece of land to help solidify Jewish presence in Judea and Samaria, but the fact that no one is willing to acknowledge is that the Arabs have the same intention for themselves, except they go about it illegally. If Israel were to decide to stop developing land in Judea and Samaria the Arabs would forcefully, illegally, and violently take claim and control of the entire region. It is essential that Israel continues to develop Jewish communities in these areas – if they don’t, they will lose their presence in Judea and Samaria completely.

What is at the heart of this Issue?

If you look past the smoke and haze that mask the lies of mainstream media, and instead look at the laws and their implications, the heart of this issue is truly very simple. This battle has been raging for millenia. The enemies of Israel will go to any lengths necessary to inhibit the Jewish people from peacefully dwelling in the land allotted to them by God and by the law. Don’t be fooled by the tactics that confuse and hide the truth, but instead educate yourself on the reality and recognize that this issue is much bigger than 12.7 sq. kilometers. The issue boils down to who will be the owner of the entire region of Judea and Samaria in 1, 10, or 100 years. As Christians our duty is to celebrate this momentous moment and solidification of the Jewish people in their homeland.