Pressure settlements: Israel accused of trying to annex West Bank
The Israeli authorities' decision to resume land registration in the West Bank is a deliberate attempt to seize Palestinian land. The reanimation of the process, which has been frozen since 1968, could put an end to the prospects of creating an independent Arab state, Fatah told Izvestia. Israel is in a hurry to create a new situation "on the ground" before the meeting of the "Peace Council" in Washington on February 19 in order to negotiate the future of the region from a position of strength, the Palestinians believe. This approach makes any trade-offs more difficult. About the new crisis in the old conflict — in the material of Izvestia.
Palestinians see annexation in land registration by Israel
The Israeli authorities have launched a land registration process in Zone C of the West Bank, creating a legal basis for the seizure of Palestinian land and their appropriation.
"This is a step to seize Palestinian land, accompanied by pressure on the population, displacement of residents and destruction of the prospects of our state," Abdel Fattah al—Dawla, spokesman for the Palestinian Fatah movement, told Izvestia. — Such actions directly contradict international obligations and UN resolutions. We consider this step as an attempt to legalize the annexation of the West Bank territories and undermine all opportunities for the creation of a full-fledged Palestinian State.
Earlier, the foreign ministers of Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey condemned Israel's decision. Palestinian Deputy Foreign Minister Omar Awadallah stressed that the Jewish state is trying to pre-empt the meeting of the "Peace Council" in order to present the already accomplished facts of control over the territories.
According to the Oslo I Agreement of 1993, the West Bank was divided into zones A, B and C. Zone C is completely under Israeli civilian and military control, while zones A and B are partially under the control of the Palestinian Authority. The agreements provided for a gradual transfer of power to the Palestinian side, but Area C remained under Israeli control, and settler activity here expanded rapidly.
The land registration process has been suspended since 1968. It covers the area of Zone C, which makes up about 60% of the West Bank. Anyone who claims land rights must provide proof of ownership. If ownership cannot be proved, the site can be recognized as State property of Israel, which opens the way to the eviction of Palestinian residents. The actions of the Jewish state can be qualified as de jure annexation, the formalization of the actual seizure of land in the West Bank.
According to Israeli media, the government has allocated about $79 million and created 35 new positions in ministries and government agencies to implement this plan. Earlier, the cabinet approved measures allowing Israeli citizens to directly buy land from Palestinians and obtain permission to build Jewish settlements in Hebron.
Will the Arab population be able to prove their right to land
The initiative comes from the government's far—right wing, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Justice Minister Yariv Levin, who are pushing for the expansion of Israeli settlements to take full control of the territories. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is facing internal challenges (including lawsuits and coalition disagreements), can use this to consolidate support among the right and settlers, especially ahead of possible elections or negotiations.
— I am presenting to you here and now one of our goals for the next term: to eradicate the idea of an Arab terrorist state, repeal the bloody Oslo Accords and embark on the path of sovereignty while encouraging emigration from Gaza, as well as Judea and Samaria (the Israeli name for the West Bank. — Ed.). There is no other solution in the long term," Smotrich said at a meeting with Israeli settlement leaders on February 15.
Although formally the land registration process may be open to both sides, in reality it will be extremely difficult for the Palestinians to prove their rights to it. Large areas of the territory can be declared State property of Israel and used for settlement construction, infrastructure and transportation projects.
The Jewish state took these steps against the background of preparations for the first meeting of the "Peace Council" on February 19 in Washington, where a plan for the reconstruction of Gaza will be discussed. As part of the initiative, it is planned to allocate $5 billion to restore the destroyed infrastructure. The participating countries included Israel, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt. The European allies of the United States have so far refrained, expressing doubts about the effectiveness of the initiative outside the UN.
The Russian side will not be represented at the meeting, and work continues on shaping Moscow's position on this structure. At the same time, according to Dmitry Peskov, the press secretary of the President of the Russian Federation, Russia is so far the only country in the world that has decided to allocate $1 billion for Palestine.
— Israel's decision to resume land registration right now, a few days before the first meeting of the Peace Council, looks like a deliberate step to strengthen the negotiating positions of the Jewish state in the upcoming discussions. By creating new "facts on the ground," the Netanyahu government is seeking to make any future compromises on Gaza or territorial concessions much more difficult and costly for the Palestinian side, said Mohammed al—Masri, a security expert.
He stressed in an interview with Izvestia that while the focus of the Peace Council is on the reconstruction of Gaza, the disarmament of Hamas and international aid, Israel is using this moment to irreversibly consolidate control over the West Bank.
This approach allows him to enter negotiations from a position of strength, al-Masri added. Any dialogue on the path to Palestinian statehood will now be conducted against the background of the already significantly changed realities in the West Bank. He concluded that this reduces the chances of serious territorial concessions from Israel.
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