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Israel approves first West Bank settlement in two decades Israeli guidelines point to unilateral policy on settlement building
(about 11 hours later)
Israel’s government has approved the first West Bank settlement in two decades Thursday, creating the first serious test for Donald Trump’s new foray into Middle East peacemaking. Israel has indicated it will pursue a unilateral policy of largely unconstrained settlement expansion in the occupied Palestinian territories, as it announced the first new settlement in two decades.
The White House pointedly avoided any specific condemnation of the announcement, although it said that further settlement activity “does not help advance peace” and that it expects Israel to show restraint moving forward. While Israel’s new settlement construction guidelines were presented as evidence of restraint and a “goodwill gesture” to the administration of US President Donald Trump – who has asked Israel to slow construction – the details seem to indicate the opposite.
Still, the relatively tepid response was a far cry from the automatic condemnations voiced by the Obama’s administration in reaction to Israeli settlement announcements. Under the arrangements outlined on Thursday night by the prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel plans to build within the boundaries of existing settlements adjacent to them, and when that is “not possible”, close to those blocs.
The White House statement even went so far as to “welcome” what appears to be a limited Israeli commitment to take Trump’s concerns about settlements into “consideration”, without any guarantees to avoid similar announcements. The only limit would involve so-called illegal outposts built by hardline settlers without permission.
Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced the decision late Thursday following a meeting of his policymaking security cabinet. The disclosure of the guidelines comes after the apparent failure of Israel and US officials to agree a road map for what settlement construction would be acceptable to the Trump administration.
Netanyahu has vowed to build a new settlement to compensate the residents of Amona, an illegal settler outpost that was demolished in February under the orders of Israel’s supreme court. Thursday’s announcement said the new settlement would be built near the existing settlement of Shilo. It also said the government had approved tenders to build 2,000 new apartments from previously approved settlement projects. The details emerged on Friday morning after the announcement on Thursday of a new settlement near Nablus – the first in almost two decades – to rehouse illegal Jewish settlers from the Amona outpost, which was demolished on the instruction of an Israeli court.
The Palestinians claim the West Bank and east Jerusalem, areas captured by Israel in 1967, as parts of a future state. In December, weeks before Trump was inaugurated, Barack Obama allowed the UN security council to pass a resolution that declared all settlements in both areas to be illegal. Trump condemned the decision at the time. In a statement on Friday, Netanyahu said: “Out of consideration to President Donald Trump’s position, Israel will take necessary steps to minimise the expansion of developed area beyond the footprint of existing settlements in Judea and Samaria [the occupied Palestinian territories] and exhibit considerable restriction, to allow the progression of the peace process.
On the campaign trail, Trump indicated he would be far more sympathetic to settlements than Obama and the international community, which consider Israeli construction on occupied land to be illegal. His platform made no mention of an independent Palestinian state, and his inner circle includes strong supporters of the settlement movement. “Israel will build within the existing developed area, as much as possible. In areas where this is not possible, Israel will build along the existing development line.
But since taking office, Trump has appeared to change his position, telling an Israeli newspaper last month that settlements “may not be helpful” and telling Netanyahu at the White House that he would like to see some restraint. Since then, Israel and the US have been in talks over what kind of construction the White House would tolerate. “In areas where neither of these possibilities are feasible, due to legal, security, topographical or additional concerns, Israel will allow building in proximity as close as possible to the existing development line.”
A White House official sought to play down Thursday’s Israeli announcement, saying Netanyahu made his promise to the Amona settlers before Trump laid out his vision. But the official, who agreed to discuss the matter on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly about it, signaled that the White House would take a tougher line down the road. The guidelines go beyond the agreement between the late Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon and George W Bush for settlement construction and far beyond what the Obama administration called for.
“As the administration has made clear: while the existence of settlements is not in itself an impediment to peace, further unrestrained settlement activity does not help advance peace,” the official said. “The Israeli government has made clear that going forward, its intent is to adopt a policy regarding settlement activity that takes the president’s concerns into consideration. The United States welcomes this.” Describing the plan, one unnamed Israeli minister told the newspaper Haaretz: “This isn’t an agreement with the Americans, but rather unilateral policy by the government of Israel. The Americans said that they don’t agree with construction in the settlements in any case, but that they can live with it and there won’t be an international crisis over every new home that’s built.”
White House envoy Jason Greenblatt has already made two visits to the region, including attending an Arab summit in Jordan this week. In hopes of renewing peace talks for the first time since 2014, the official said the White House will continue to work with all sides “to create a climate that is conducive to peace”. The disclosed new “restrictions” will not be seen as such by most of the international community, which regards Israeli settlement construction as a violation of international law.
“We hope that the parties will take reasonable actions moving forward that create a climate that is conducive to peace,” he said. The Palestinians view the West Bank and East Jerusalem, areas captured by Israel in 1967, as parts of a future state. In December, weeks before Trump was inaugurated, President Obama allowed the UN security council to pass a resolution that declared all settlements in both areas to be illegal. Trump condemned the decision at the time.
Over 600,000 Israelis now live in settlements in the West Bank and east Jerusalem. But Israel has not built a full-fledged new settlement since the 1990s. Instead, construction during that period has expanded existing settlements or taken place in unauthorized outposts like Amona. Netanyahu’s hard-line government, which is dominated by settler allies, recently passed legislation aimed at legalizing dozens of those outposts. Responding to the announcement of the new settlement on Thursday night, senior Palestinian official Hanan Ashrawi said the move showed the government was pushing ahead with “their systematic policies of settler colonialism, apartheid and ethnic cleansing, showing a total and blatant disregard for Palestinian human rights”.
The Palestinians and the international community consider the settlements obstacles to peace because they gobble up territory where the Palestinians seek to establish their state. She added: “Israel is more committed to appeasing its illegal settler population than to abiding by the requirements for stability and a just peace.”
Israel says the status of settlements as well as other issues, such as security, should be resolved in peace talks. A spokesman for UN secretary general, António Guterres, expressed “disappointment and alarm” at the announcement.
Palestinian official Hanan Ashrawi condemned the new settlement approval and called for international intervention. “The secretary general has consistently stressed that there is no plan B for Israelis and Palestinians to live together in peace and security. He condemns all unilateral actions that, like the present one, threaten peace and undermine the two-state solution,” Stephane Dujarric said in a statement.
“Today’s announcement once again proves that Israel is more committed to appeasing its illegal settler population than to abiding by the requirements for stability and a just peace,” she said. “It is time that all members of the international community serve the cause of peace and justice and bring Israel to cease and desist its unlawful settlement activities and illegal unilateralism once and for all.” For its part the White House pointedly avoided any specific condemnation of the announcement, although it said further settlement activity “does not help advance peace” and that it expects Israel to show restraint moving forward.
A White House official sought to play down Thursday’s announcement, saying Netanyahu made his promise to the Amona settlers before Trump laid out his vision.
The White House statement even went so far as to welcome what appears to be a limited Israeli commitment to take Trump’s concerns about settlements into consideration, without any guarantees to avoid similar announcements.
“As the administration has made clear, while the existence of settlements is not in itself an impediment to peace, further unrestrained settlement activity does not help advance peace,” the US official said. “The Israeli government has made clear that going forward, its intent is to adopt a policy regarding settlement activity that takes the president’s concerns into consideration. The United States welcomes this.”
The relatively tepid response was a far cry from the automatic condemnations voiced by the Obama administration in reaction to Israeli settlement announcements.
On the campaign trail, Trump indicated he would be far more sympathetic to settlements than Obama and the international community. His platform made no mention of an independent Palestinian state, and his inner circle includes strong supporters of the settlement movement.
Since taking office, Trump has appeared to change his position, telling an Israeli newspaper last month that settlements “may not be helpful” and telling Netanyahu at the White House that he would like to see some restraint. Since then, Israel and the US have been in talks over what kind of construction the White House would tolerate.