For decades, Israel has boasted of “making the desert bloom,” as if Palestinians never even existed. As Israel today pushes Gazans toward mass dehydration, we should remember its longstanding efforts to colonize land through its control of the water supply.
Construction of settlements in the occupied West Bank surged 17 per cent during the first year of US President Donald trump’s presidency, Israeli monitoring group Peace Now has said.
According to data released by the group, Israel began construction of 2,783 settlement homes in 2017, 17 per cent more than the annual average since Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took office in 2009.
The vast majority of the new “homes” – 78 per cent – were in settlements which would likely have to be evacuated if a Palestinian state was established, Peace Now added.
Additionally, eight per cent were in illegal outposts which are not authorised by the state.
Trump has taken a softer line on Israeli construction in the occupied West Bank than his predecessors.
via Palestine: 17% increase in Israel’s squatter settlements under Trump | Informed Comment
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