Israel Announces More Settlements in Occupied
Territories
Allan C. Brownfeld, Editor
Special Interest Report
December 2021
In October, the Israeli government approved plans to build 3000 more units in
West Bank settlements. The State Department issued its strongest opposition to
the plans since President Biden took office, calling them “unacceptable.” The
State Department also expressed concern about the publication of tenders for
13,000 settlement units in a number of West Bank settlements. State Department
spokesman Ned Price said, “We strongly oppose the expansion of settlements, which
is completely inconsistent with efforts to lower tensions…and it damages the
prospects for a two-state solution.” (Washington Post, Oct. 29, 2021)
Axios reported that Secretary of State Antony Blinken called the Israeli Defense
Minister Benny Gantz and told him that both the number of housing units and their
locations deep inside the West Bank were “unacceptable,” according to Israeli
officials. Mondoweiss (Oct. 28, 2021) reports that, “Prime minister Bennett comes
from a far right-wing party that opposes a Palestinian state and backs the
settlers. His government coalition includes several right-wing parties and the
Israeli government, under a Constitutional law, holds that Jews have the
‘exclusive’ right of ‘self-determination’ in all the land between the river and
the sea.”
Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh said that the plan to
build new housing units in the settlements “puts the world, especially the U.S.
in front of great responsibilities to confront and challenge the fait accompli
imposed by Israel.” He called on the international community to make “Israel pay
the price for its aggression against our people.” (International Jerusalem Post,
Oct. 29-Nov. 4, 2021). **
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