Settlements create serious security concerns for Israel, requiring the deployment of forces to protect Jews living in communities outside the boundaries of the state and diverting resources that might otherwise be used to prepare the military for possible conflicts with enemy armies. The settlements also have had a budgetary impact as hundreds of millions of dollars are spent each year on infrastructure, incentives, and other material needs for Jews living in these communities.
Many Israelis believe that the military and economic cost is not justified and support the removal of some settlements. Those closest to the border more accurately, the armistice line , and especially those surrounding Jerusalem , however, are generally regarded as justified on a variety of grounds and are likely to be incorporated within the ultimate boundary of Israel.
Some Israelis fear the Palestinians may be correct about time being on their side. For many years, projections anticipated an exponential increase in the population of Arabs in Israel and the territories. According to the latest population data as of January , the Jewish population is 6,, and the Palestinian population in the West Bank, Gaza and Israel based on CIA figures for the territories is 6,, 4.
Soffer underestimated the Jewish population and grossly overestimated the growth of the Palestinian population. Beitar Ilit. Such faulty predictions have bolstered the position of those who dismiss the so-called demographic threat to Israel and believe the combination of the Jewish birthrate and immigration will ensure a Jewish majority for the foreseeable future if Israel annexed the territories.
While a clause in the accords prohibits changing the status of the territories, it was intended to ensure only that neither side would take unilateral measures to alter the legal status of the areas such as annexation or declaration of statehood. This was a dramatic shift in policy by a man considered one of the fathers of the settler movement. Sharon also said that Israel would not keep all the settlements in the West Bank.
This could change if Benjamin Netanyahu leads the next Israeli government and fulfills his campaign pledge to extend Israeli sovereignty to the Jordan Valley and to all settlements in the West Bank. Israel gave up all the territory it held in Gaza and evacuated some West Bank settlements without any agreement from the Palestinians, who now have complete authority over their population within Gaza.
This offered the Palestinians an opportunity to prove that if Israel made territorial concessions, they would be prepared to coexist with their neighbor and to build a state of their own. Instead of trading land for peace, however, Israel exchanged territory for terror. Hamas came to power in the Palestinian Authority and instead of using the opportunity to build the infrastructure for statehood, the Gaza Strip became a scene of chaos as rival Palestinian factions vied for power.
Terrorism from Gaza also continued unabated and Israeli towns have been repeatedly hit by rockets fired from the area Israel evacuated. In January , the Trump administration released its peace plan , which dramatically differed from prior American plans.
Israelis had reservations about aspects of the plan and the Palestinians rejected it outright. Duncan, Eds. Download our mobile app for on-the-go access to the Jewish Virtual Library. Category » The Settlements. The Settlements in International Law. Says Settlements Are Not Illegal. Pompeo Responds to Criticism of Settlement Policy. EU Ruling on Labeling Products. Settlement Population in Gaza.
Gaza Settlements. Distances from "Green Line". The Settlement Blocs Map. West Bank Settlements. E1 Corridor. Statistics on Settlement Construction. Total Population of Jewish Settlements. Settlement Growth By U. Barak's Plans to Dismantle Settlements. Court Opinion on Unauthorized Outposts. Gaza Disengagement Plan. Trump's 'deal of the century' a huge gamble.
Smiles and sorrow for Trump's peace plan. Trump plan: Key points. Abbas: Trump 'conspiracy deal won't pass'. Benjamin Netanyahu: Commando turned PM.
Image source, Reuters. Benjamin Netanyahu has long championed Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank. What is the West Bank?
What is "annexation" and why does it matter here? Image source, AFP. Reports suggest Israeli sovereignty would not be applied to Palestinians living in annexed areas. This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
Palestinian President Abbas says Mr Trump's "conspiracy deal won't pass". If it's so controversial, why does Israel want to do it? Why is this being talked about now? Trump plan: Key points Analysis: Trump's deal a huge gamble. What would change with annexation? Construction in settlements could become easier if they officially become part of Israel. What is the global response to Israel's plan? The issue of settlements has long been a source of friction between Israelis and Palestinians.
The population of Israelis living in the West Bank has mushroomed over the years. Though they are neighbors and sometimes co-workers, relations between Jews and Palestinians on the West Bank are seldom friendly. Palestinians frequently experience harassment from extremist Israeli settlers, sometimes as Israeli soldiers look on. There are hundreds of reports of extremist settlers, many of them armed, violently attacking Palestinians , burning their fields and uprooting their olive trees.
Additionally, Israel has appropriated West Bank land to build a network of roads connecting settlements to Israel and to each other. These roads are generally off-limits to Palestinian drivers, hampering their freedom of movement and making travel within the West Bank more difficult and time-consuming. The Israeli army security checkpoints that dot the West Bank, which are meant to protect Israelis from terror attacks , also restrict and complicate the ability of Palestinian people to move around.
Israelis choose to live in the West Bank for many reasons. The popular stereotype of Jewish settlers as religious fanatics determined to reclaim the entire ancient homeland they believe was given to Jews by God is not quite accurate.
Still, these fervent settlers are a vocal and highly visible minority.
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