Apparently, the Gaza evacuation fueled both the Israeli settlers and government for that matter to fortify the settlement program in occupied West Bank. Even though signs of possible evacuation from dozens of West Bank's settlements are evident, it seems that the Israeli government and settlers are rigging the controversial settlement blocs Israel is planning to hold on to under any peace agreement with the Palestinians. Israel seems determine to contrive any future evacuation from West Bank settlements to be in accordance to its political agenda, taking into consideration the politically derived route of the Segregation Wall, which encompass the large settlements blocks; the grounds for all new settlements expansion.
Israel Sends out a message to the world
Israel has expressed relentlessly its apathy to all calls to freeze all settlements related activities in the West Bank including East Jerusalem, even those sounding from the Quartet, Roadmap or the United States. In fact, Israel has a long history of insubordination to international community will and its actions were seldom denounced or reprimanded. Just recently, during the American Secretary of State Ms. Condoleezza Rice's visit to Israel during the 3rd week of November to terminate a solution for the Rafah crossing, that Ms. Rice called upon Israel to freeze all settlement related activities in the West Bank, a request made before; by her long list of predecessors but also failed to be treated courteously. During that same period Israel Lands Administration (ILA) issued new building tenders for 13 lots (350 housing units) in the controversial Ma'ale Adumim settlement and the Israeli Housing Ministry issued tenders for infrastructure work in Ma'ale Adumim, Ariel, and Adam settlements.
What's more is that expansion of illegal Israeli settlements became an ace in the hole for the Israeli parties who are racing to score points with the Israeli settlers population by pressing toward settlements expansion; Sharon bluntly declared that expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank along with unified Jerusalem are key principles in his newly led party Kadima. Israeli Offense Minister; Mofaz who has just declared his affiliation with Kadima passed approval to build illegally 750 new housing units in the Israeli settlement bloc Moda'in. So far, Israel has issued tenders for 2190 housing units since the beginning of the year. The following map details the areas where tenders were issued. See Map 1
Israel has made it clear that it will not seize any of its settlements related active ties in the West Bank; in fact, Israel's Defense Minister Mofaz has made it clear that Israel will only fortify settlements especially those incorporated by the Segregation Wall as he bluntly put it 'the settlement blocs will continue to be Israel's eastern border in the future.' Furthermore, Mofaz announced that the Israeli cabinet is most likely to adopt a decision to build the E1 project to link Ma'ale Adumim settlement with Jerusalem sometime during the few coming months. The Israeli settlement activities in occupied West Bank contradict the essence of the Roadmap plan, which according to Israel represent the base political line for them in the years to come. Other than that, Israel seems to be fulfilling its vows to their settler's population to reinforce settlements of the West Bank following the implementation of the Gaza disengagement.
Prepared by:
The Applied Research Institute – Jerusalem
