Israel announces West Bank settlement that ‘could imperil Palestinian state'
The announcement comes as many countries, including Australia France, and Canada said they would recognise a Palestinian state in September.
'This reality finally buries the idea of a Palestinian state, because there is nothing to recognise and no one to recognise,' said finance minister Bezalel Smotrich during a ceremony on Thursday.
'Anyone in the world who tries today to recognise a Palestinian state — will receive an answer from us on the ground.'
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not yet publicly commented on the plan, but he has touted it in the past.
Development in E1, an open tract of land east of Jerusalem, has been under consideration for more than two decades, but was frozen due to US pressure during previous administrations.
On Thursday, Mr Smotrich praised President Donald Trump and US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee as 'true friends of Israel as we have never had before'.
The E1 plan is expected to receive final approval August 20, capping off 20 years of bureaucratic wrangling.
The planning committee on August 6 rejected all of the petitions to stop the construction filed by rights groups and activists.
While some bureaucratic steps remain, if the process moves quickly, infrastructure work could begin in the next few months and construction of homes could start in around a year.
The approval is a 'colonial, expansionist, and racist move', Ahmed al Deek, the political adviser to the minister of Palestinian Foreign Affairs, told The Associated Press on Thursday.
'It falls within the framework of the extremist Israeli government's plans to undermine any possibility of establishing a Palestinian state on the ground, to fragment the West Bank, and to separate its southern part from the centre and the north,' Mr al Deek said.
Rights groups also swiftly condemned the plan.
Peace Now called it 'deadly for the future of Israel and for any chance of achieving a peaceful two-state solution' which is 'guaranteeing many more years of bloodshed'.
The announcement comes as the Palestinian Authority and Arab countries condemned Mr Netanyahu's statement in an interview on Tuesday that he was 'very' attached to the vision of a 'Greater Israel'.
He did not elaborate, but supporters of the idea believe that Israel should control not only the occupied West Bank but parts of Arab countries.
Israel's plans to expand settlements are part of an increasingly difficult reality for Palestinians in the occupied West Bank as the world's attention focuses on Gaza.
There have been marked increases in settler attacks against Palestinians, evictions from Palestinian towns and checkpoints that choke freedom of movement.
There also have been several Palestinian attacks on Israelis during the course of the war.
More than 700,000 Israelis now live in the occupied West Bank and east Jerusalem, territories captured by Israel in 1967 and sought by the Palestinians for a future state.
The international community overwhelmingly considers Israeli settlement construction in these areas to be illegal and obstacles to peace.
Israel's government is dominated by religious and ultranationalist politicians with close ties to the settlement movement.
Mr Smotrich, previously a firebrand settler leader, has been granted cabinet-level authority over settlement policies and vowed to double the settler population in the West Bank.
Israel captured the West Bank, east Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip in the 1967 Mideast war.
The Palestinians claim all three territories for a future independent state.
Israel has annexed east Jerusalem and claims it as part of its capital, which is not internationally recognised.
It says the West Bank is disputed territory whose fate should be determined through negotiations, while Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005.
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The Guardian
31 minutes ago
- The Guardian
As Netanyahu starves Gaza, there is a whole new battle to be fought in Israel – against complacency
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In March, Netanyahu made his move to take over the Kirya, Israel's answer to the Pentagon, in central Tel Aviv, nominating Lt Gen Eyal Zamir as the new IDF chief of staff. A broad-shouldered tank commander who had served as the prime minister's military aide a decade earlier, Zamir had close-up knowledge of his former boss and his inner circle. The rightwing politicians and twitterati praised him as an 'offensive' commander who would defeat Hamas, unlike his unlucky predecessor, Herzi Halevi, who carried the burden of the 7 October failure. And he was widely expected to preserve the draft exemption for ultra-Orthodox men, relieving Netanyahu of a political hot potato. At first, Zamir was quick to adapt. On 18 March, Israel breached a short-lived ceasefire with Hamas, intensifying its attacks and temporarily halting the flow of food and humanitarian aid into Gaza. 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True to form, Netanyahu likes to keep his options open, while leaving his opponents with uneasy choices and telling different, and often contradictory, stories to different people. Israeli pundits debate whether he wants to end the war, reach a partial deal, or keep a low-level and less costly fight. Only two things are clear: the prime minister has an insatiable quest for power and longevity in office; and the death toll in Gaza from bombing and malnutrition keeps rising, while Israelis keep looking the other way. Aluf Benn is the editor-in-chief of Haaretz Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here.
Reuters
2 hours ago
- Reuters
Israel in talks to resettle Gaza Palestinians in South Sudan, sources say
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Scottish Sun
2 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Fury erupts after St George's flags are ripped down from city's streets by council over fears they ‘put lives at risk'
A politican also hit out after the move by the council 'UTTER ABSURDITY' Fury erupts after St George's flags are ripped down from city's streets by council over fears they 'put lives at risk' Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) FURIOUS residents have blasted their local council after St George's flags were ripped down from city streets. Locals have put up flags on houses and streetlights in Northfield, Birmingham, in what was described as a show of "patriotic outpouring". Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 4 St George's and Union Jack flags tied to lamp posts in Birmingham Credit: BPM 4 But the council have decided to tear them down, sparking backlash Credit: BPM 4 Many feel the move is excessive Credit: BPM The Union Jack and St George's flags were put up using ladders and cable ties by a group of residents called the Weoley Warriors. Funded by £2,500 of public donations, the campaign is intended to 'show Birmingham and the rest of the country of how proud we are of our history, freedoms and achievements'. The flags were first seen in Weoley Castle before spreading to other parts of Northfield including Bartley Green, Selly Oak and Frankley Great Park. But Birmingham City Council have now confirmed the flags will be removed, saying the "unauthorised items" are "dangerous" and could potentially kill motorists and pedestrians. The council said that the extra weight could "potentially lead to collapse" in the future. However, the council's decision has sparked backlash from residents. One unnamed flag-flying resident told BirminghamLive that the patriotic bunting had been put up because people in the area have "had enough". "This country is a disgrace and has no backbone," they said. "This isn't racism, it's frustration at being pushed into a corner and silenced." Jeremy Duthie, from Weoley Castle, also told the outlet: "My personal opinion is that anyone who has a problem with our national flag being flown is living in the wrong country and should maybe consider living in the country represented by whatever flag they prefer to see flying." Many have also pointed out that Palestinian flags were flying in other parts of the city to show solidarity over the Gaza crisis as well as Ukrainian flags in the past. And the council also lit up the Library of Birmingham in green and white to mark the anniversary of Pakistan's independence day yesterday. Cabbies have hit out at a 'woke' ban on flying England flag MP Sir Iain Duncan Smith accused Birmingham City Council of piling "bias and absurdity on top of their utter incompetence". He pointed out that they have managed to find workers to take down flags after months of bin strikes. But a spokesman for the council said: "People who attach unauthorised items to lampposts could be putting their lives and those of motorists and pedestrians at risk. "Placing unauthorised attachments on street furniture, particularly tall structures like lampposts, can be dangerous." The council added: "Lampposts and other street furniture need to be protected which is why highways staff across the city removed around 200 advertising banners and flags that had been attached to lampposts since the start of this year. "They take down attachments from lampposts routinely, including advertising signs, bunting trails and flags." 'PROUD OF COMMUNITY' However, Councillor Simon Morrall, who represents Frankley Great Park on the city council, said it was a "clearly peaceful moment" that "residents love". He has also written to the council to suggest an "amnesty" on removing any flags until at least the end of August. Helen Ingram, a historian who lives in the area, told the Mail: "Since the flags appeared everyone in Northfield has been talking about them – friends, family, neighbours, even strangers. "Everyone I've spoken to loves them and there's a buzz in the air, an almost carnival-like atmosphere. Northfield was once a tight-knit community and it's heart-warming to get back that strong sense of community pride and unity. "Some of the residents of Northfield have pointed out that there are plenty of Palestinian, Ukrainian and Pride flags that fly freely around the city every day without issue. "They argue that flying a Union Jack or England flag aligns with this same spirit of being proud of your identity, your roots and the community that you represent. "That is surely a sentiment that a city council should be championing rather than condemning!" It comes after thousands of England flags put up on an estate to cheer on the Lionesses were ripped down by a mystery vandal. The area in South-East London is famous for its huge displays of flags and murals in support of the national team during major football tournaments.
