The Forgotten West Bank: Religious Zionism Marches on toward its Greater Israel Project
8-28-2024
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For the last ten months, Israel has continued its genocidal war against the occupied Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. The number of Palestinians murdered has exceeded 40, 000 deaths with over 100,000 injured. These numbers do not reflect the real casualty level as thousands are still uncounted for and there is no functioning government in Gaza.
While the world is focused on Gaza, Israel has escalated its violence in the West Bank. So far, in the West Bank over 500 Palestinians have been killed and over 10,000 prisoners. These numbers of Palestinian casualties have been reported since October 7, 2023. Israel, the settlers, and the official Israeli government forces, have unleashed a campaign of terror against the Palestinians in the West Bank. Israelis are afraid they are facing a possible uprising in the West Bank but do nothing to end the violence against the Palestinians.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Israeli minister Smotrich from the Religious Zionist party has taken advantage of the war in Gaza to “reshape the West Bank.” His goal is to “squash the possibility of a Palestinian state.” The paper added: “The changes Smotrich is making could lay the groundwork for Israeli sovereignty over the West Bank in all but name, changes that are too in the weeds of government policy for most people to follow.”
Not only are most Israelis against the two-state solution, but Israel is also creating facts on the ground to prevent this promised American supported and promoted solution. Five hundred thousand Israelis are illegally living in the West Bank. the World Court has declared Israeli practices in the West Bank as illegal under international law and that Israel should compensate the Palestinians for the cost imposed on them by decades of occupation.
Israel is demolishing Gaza and starving its people. Israel tried to use the October 7 attack as a pretext to ethnically cleanse Gaza. When Israel failed at the ethnic cleansing. it continued its genocide campaign as retribution against the people of Gaza. The ceasefire negotiations have been an exercise in futility. Even members of Netanyahu's negotiation team said that Netanyahu does not want a deal.
The Biden’s administration has adopted the Israeli narrative and has given Israel unlimited support without getting anything in return. Until now Israel does not allow anywhere near the needed food to enter Gaza. The Gaza pier that Biden built failed. That pier is a metaphor for Biden’s failed Gaza policy.
Nothing short of a permanent ceasefire and a restarting of a real peace process would end the immense suffering of the Palestinians. Until the US makes the political decision to bring the conflict to an end, we will continue to see cycles of violence. The American unlimited support of Israel has emboldened it to violate law and norms with impunity. This must end.
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Footnotes: Photo by Haim Zach, GPO. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman on a tour with the mapping committee.
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