The conflict between Israel and Palestine is one of the most complex and complicated
in international politics.
And also, as you all know by now, one of the most controversial situations we can find
in the entire world. Well, in order to make it easier, in this video, we will tackle one
of the most delicate issues:
The Israeli settlements in the West Bank…
And this is a major issue with almost all countries finding these settlements to be
a serious violation of international law.
In the last 40 years, even all the administrations in the United States has taken a position
against them. And when I say them, I mean all of them.
Yes, this matter has even compromised the special relationship between the US and Israel.
And I’m not just talking about governments like Jimmy Carter´s, not at all.
Indeed, Ronald Reagan himself demanded the immediate freeze of any new settlements as
he claimed they were an evident obstacle to peace. George H. W. Bush threatened to take
disciplinary measures of an economic nature. Then Bill Clinton proposed a law to “punish”
Israel by reducing American assistance.
Even today, Trump´s administration has asked Israel to stop being such a “pain in the
ass” about it.
“Since taking office in January, Trump has publicly asked Netanyahu to constrain settlement
construction but has not condemned it. The State Department has said that it is not helpful
to the peace process”. Jerusalem Post. So what do you think Israel has done in the
face of all this criticism? Well, they have basically ignored it all and have kept expanding
the settlements.
But, ok, now we are here, you might be wondering: What are these settlements and what do they
really mean? Well, let’s see…
(SETTLERS AND SETTLEMENTS)
The first thing we need to know is that, according to agreements that have been reached, the
territory or “state” of Palestine is formed by what it is today known as the West Bank
and the Gaza Strip.
These territories correspond to the political map prior to the Six-Day War, after which
Israel occupied these territories, which used to belong to Jordan. So, the settlements are
essentially communities… villages, towns and cities, that Israel has been building
since 1970 in the West Bank… Territory of the future Palestinian state. And it is not
just a few houses we are talking about...
The West Bank is a small territory, at barely 5,600 sq. km. That’s about the size of the
state of Delaware.
Even so, today (and this is not considering East Jerusalem) there are 131 settlements...
And, furthermore, there are an additional 97 outposts. These are settlements as well,
but in these case, these settlements are illegal even under Israeli law. These outposts were
built without the consent of the Israeli government.
That means there are more than 228 Israeli settlements around the West Bank. Many are
in places of relevant value, like aquifers, and that makes it more complicated because
roads and infrastructure need to be set up in order to connect them.
Besides, Israel needs to protect these settlements and that involves police patrolling around
the West Bank, which affects the mobility of Palestinians, and makes economic development
more difficult.
And the problem isn't just the existence of these settlements, it’s that they don´t
stop growing:
In the last year, more than 2000 new buildings have started to be constructed, and there
are plans to build more than 30,000 in the next coming years.
Obviously, there are also schools, medical centres, synagogues… and so on.
And what’s the result of all this? Well, take a look at this chart to see how the population
has evolved: So, now some of you might be thinking: well
what’s the problem?
Those who are pro-settlement claim these are population centres are growing where there
used to be nothing.
Consider what the Mayor of Ma'ale Adumim says about one of the main settlements.
“We didn’t steal the land from anybody [...] “It was built on empty hills. You
can see there — the desert, rocks and sand. Now you have a living city.”Benny Kashriel,
Mayor of Ma'ale Adumim. Ma'ale Adumim is a city of 40,000 inhabitants,
with schools, kindergartens, a theatre, a library, an industrial centre… according
to the residents there, it is a complete city.
Alright, so again, what’s the problem?
The problem is that in order to solve the Israel-Palestine conflict, all parties agree
that two states are necessary: One being Israel, and two being Palestine.
But with all the settlements… Palestinian sovereignty in the West Bank will be in serious
danger, because Israel has already said they will never give up sovereignty over these
places. And that includes the roads, the infrastructure, the security controls...
Let´s be clear: Palestinian will be unable to become an effective and autonomous state
with such limitations, especially considering these settlements won't stop growing.
“Settlements are illegal under international law and present one of the main impediments
to peace”. Nickolay Mladenov, United Nations envoy on Middle East peace.
So, now we can understand why this topic makes everybody so tense…
(MORE AND MORE TENSION)
The tension over Netanyahu's settlement policy hasn't stopped growing since 2015.
The situation has reached a point that, on the 23th of December 2016, the UN Security
Council passed resolution 2334 that strongly condemns the Israeli settlement policy.
“The Security Council reaffirms that the establishment by Israel of settlements in
the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, including East Jerusalem, has no legal validity
and constitutes a flagrant violation under international law and a major obstacle to
the achievement of the two-State solution and a just, lasting and comprehensive peace”.
Resolution 2334 of Security Council (United Nations)
This resolution could be passed because, for the first time, the US didn't use their right
to veto the resolution. And, well, this is something that made Netanyahu's government
really furious.
The Prime Minister didn't hesitate in describing the situation as absurd;
He even accused Barack Obama’s administration in public of trying to carry out a “shameful
anti-Israeli manoeuvre”.
So yeah, he was pretty angry.
But these resolution shouldn't have taken Netanyahu by surprise given some of the decisions
he announced in 2016 and confirmed in 2017.
On the other hand, the Israeli government has started a new settlement in the West Bank,
the first in two decades.
So, Israel has not only decided to encourage the existing settlements… but they’ve
even started a new one.
On the other hand (and maybe empowered by the alleged good relations with Trump) the
parliament in Israel, after lots of controversy, finally passed a new law at the beginning
of 2017. This law legalizes around 4,000 houses built on Palestinian private property; houses
that the Israeli Supreme Court had even ordered to be dismantled...
“The rules of the game have changed with Donald Trump’s arrival as president. We
no longer have our hands tied as in the time of Barack Obama. Now we can finally build”.
Meir Turgeman, Jerusalem Deputy Mayor
Hey, as we said before, the fact Trump might look closer to Israel doesn´t mean that his
administration isn't also tired of this settlement issue...
That is why, in order to try to regain Trump´s favor, Jerusalem has committed to starting
a new policy that seems to slow down the growth of existing settlements and forbid outposts
completely... But the new policy is so cryptic and complicated
that it seems very likely the settlements will keep growing.
And now you probably have another question: Why do these settlements grow so much?
Well, pay close attention... (THE INEXPLICABLE POLICY)
Think about it: Why do so many Israelis want to live in these conflict zones?
Is it maybe because there are some valuable natural resources to be exploited? Well, not
really. The explanation is… much less creative.
The government of Israel is subsidizing the establishment of these settlements...
That´s right, the government in Israel co-finances the construction of houses, creating discounts
of almost 70% for the price of land and offers a great deal of financial aid.
And you know what the result is? Houses are an average of 40% cheaper than in the formal
territory of Israel.
And that´s not all, the government of Israel also ensures security and provides all kinds
of public services. So, as you can imagine, the youth and many families see in these places
the possibility of having a better life than the one they could have in Israel’s formal
territory.
So how does Israel benefit from this?
Well… the truth is that they really don’t, and in exchange they just get a bunch of political
and economic problems.
These settlements aren´t just an obstacle for the peace process and foreign policy,
they are also a big waste of public money.
Look, with subsidies, security, expensive public services... The Peace Now foundation
and the Adva Centre (both Israeli by the way) estimate that the cost of these is more than
a billion dollars a year.
In other words, this is nothing but an expensive, nationalist policy, both for the citizens
of Palestine as well as those of Israel.
DON´T GET FOOLED
But let me be absolutely clear, Israel is country full of positive things.
Unlike their neighbouring countries, Israel is a consolidated democracy with strong civil
liberties and a prosperous and innovative economy.
Many of the products and services we use everyday wouldn't exist if it weren't for the technology
developed in Israel.
And don't be fooled, putting an end to these settlements wouldn´t mean an end to the conflict.
Because there is a precedent:
In 2005, Israel left the Gaza Strip completely, stopping all the settlements and removing
all civilians and soldiers.
And the result was neither peace nor prosperity. The Strip is now controlled by Hamas radicals,
and it is even in conflict with the government of Palestine itself and the situation isn't
good from a humanitarian perspective…
But it definitely doesn't justify the settlement policy of Israel and their lack of commitment
towards a peace agreement.
Now, the question is: Is there any possible solution to this conflict? Well, more and
more experts claim the solution needs to be a bottom-up strategy:
That is to say: encourage economic development in the West Bank, establish a dialogue and
understanding where trade relations between Israelis and Palestinians are normal, and
let the National Authorities in Palestine have more jurisdiction.
These all requires time, but more than that, it needs COMMITMENT.
So, now it is your turn: what do you think should happen with the settlements? Leave
your answer on the comments as well as the survey.
Also don’t forget to subscribe to our channel for brand new videos every Monday and Thursday.
Also, don’t forget to check out our friends at the Reconsider Media Podcast - they provided
the vocals in this episode that were not mine! And as always, thanks for watching!