The Sabra Report | Settling In

Recap:

Israel approved the largest expansion of Jewish settlements in the West Bank since the Oslo Accords. The move greenlights 22 new settlements—some legalizations of unauthorized outposts, others entirely new constructions. Israeli officials say the expansion is a “strategic buffer”, while critics warn it solidifies permanent occupation.

The Context:

·      For Israel, the West Bank is not only ideological but strategic. It lies adjacent to Israel’s narrow coastal corridor—where most of its population resides - and area C, which comprises about 60% of the West Bank, is home to hundreds of thousands of Israelis. With Hamas and other Iranian-backed groups expanding their reach in the West Bank, much of central Israel, including Tel Aviv and Ben Gurion Airport, remain within easy range of attack.

·      Homesh and Sa-Nur—two settlements dismantled during Israel’s 2005 disengagement—will be resurrected. In the two decades since the disengagement, there have been repeated efforts to reestablish a settler presence at the evacuated settlements, and last year the law forbidding Israelis from entering the area was repealed. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called the plan “a historic correction,” while Defense Minister Israel Katz dubbed it a “protective wall” for Israel. Four of the new communities will line the Jordan Valley, reinforcing Israel’s border with Jordan.

·      Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem in 1967. Most of the international community views settlements as illegal and an obstacle to resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict while several Arab and Muslim states have said that the establishment of a Palestinian state is their condition for normalizing ties with Israel.

·      The international community is once again rallying around the idea of Palestinian statehood— even after Hamas launched the October 7th massacre that left 1,200 Israelis dead. Palestinians view the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza as the components of a future Palestinian state. Every statehood proposal to date has been rejected by Palestinian leaders if it does not include a “right of return” that would allow millions of Palestinians to move into pre-1967 Israel and by extension, erasing the Jewish character of the state and replace it with a binational entity at best.

Conversation Points:

·      Why is Israel advancing new settlements now, while also ramping up its military operations in Gaza?

·      Should statehood be a reward after acts of terrorism?

·      How would a West Bank-based Palestinian state impact Israel’s ability to defend itself?

Notes:

·      “Israel confirms plans to create 22 new settlements in occupied West Bank,” The Guardian, May 29, 2025

·      “Defense Ministry confirms government approval of 22 new West Bank settlements,” Times of Israel, May 29, 2025

·      “Israel approves biggest expansion of West Bank settlements in decades,” CNN, May 29, 2025

·      “Israel announces new West Bank settlements despite sanctions threat,” Reuters, May 29, 2025

·      “Israel’s Katz: New Settlements Aim to Halt Palestine State,” Bloomberg, May 29, 2025

·      “Israel authorizes more settlements in the occupied West Bank,” Associated Press, May 29, 2025

·      “Gov’t approves establishment of 22 new West Bank settlements,” Jerusalem Post, May 29, 2025

·      “Israel announces major expansion of settlements in occupied West Bank,” BBC, May 29, 2025