Settlement & Annexation Report: December 13, 2024

Welcome to FMEP’s Weekly Settlement Report, covering everything you need to know about Israeli settlement activity this week.

To subscribe to this report, please click here.

December 13, 2024

More Demolitions in Silwan Imminent, Threatening Displacement and Replacement
Israel Seizes Land Northwest of Jerusalem, Possibly to Expand Settlement
Israel Demolishes Structures in “Agreed Upon Reserve” Near Bethlehem
Weiss Details Work Towards Gaza Settlements
Settlers Move on Plans to Settle South Lebanon & Syria
U.S. Senator Intro’s Bill to Compel U.S. Adoption of Settler Terminology “Judea and Samaria”
U.S. Democrats Introduce Bill to Codify Biden’s Sanctions on Violent Settlers
Bonus Reads

More Demolitions in Silwan Imminent, Threatening Displacement and Replacement

Ir Amim and Peace Now continue to raise the alarm on the escalation in demolitions targeting Palestinians in Silwan, particularly in the Batan al-Hawa and al-Bustan sections of the neighborhood. In al-Bustan, it is particularly concerning that the Israeli government is rapidly pursuing its plans to displace the entire neighborhood in order to construct the “King’s Garden” tourist site.

Ir Amim explains:

“The entire neighborhood of Al Bustan, which contains approximately 115 houses and home to over 1500 Palestinians, is under threat of largescale demolition as a result of Israeli plans to establish a tourist and archaeological park in the area. Most of the homes are considered unauthorized by the Israeli authorities due to the inability to obtain building permits and therefore subject to demolition, which is a direct result of discrimination implicit within the Israeli planning system. For years, Al Bustan residents have engaged in negotiations with the Jerusalem Municipality in an attempt to secure an equitable housing solution for the community, which would legalize building and enable proper residential development. Yet, negotiations have recently broke down, and all legal channels have been exhausted, effectively removing all safeguards.”

Peace Now said in a statement:

“The Jerusalem Municipality has begun a systematic campaign to demolish an entire residential neighborhood in East Jerusalem to build a tourist park. This is an injustice that cannot go unnoticed. Instead of caring for the thousands of Jerusalem residents, the municipality is acting against them. The residents of al-Bustan invested years preparing a building plan to legalize their homes, but the municipality has refused to advance any plan. Jerusalem is not a unified city; it is a city of occupation, dispossession and discrimination.”

The demolition plans in Batan al-Hawa are no less cynical, and – like all over East Jerusalem – only one means by which settlers are displacing and replacing Palestinians. Ateret Cohanim has waged a complementary legal battle to gain ownership rights to homes in Silwan that were owned by Jews prior to 1948 – – though the homes are currently (and in some cases for generations) inhabited by Palestinians. In Batan al-Hawa, Ateret Cohanim recently won rights to the Gheith family home – and with the transfer of ownership imminent the house was burnt down allegedly by Palestinians.

Israel Seizes Land Northwest of Jerusalem, Possibly to Expand Settlement

Middle East Eye reports that Israel has seized control of Palestinian land historically belonging to the villages of Qatanna and Biddu. The land is located on the Israeli side of the separation barrier, which has been cut off from the villages for over two decades (meaning the Israeli state de-facto annexed this land already on the pretext of security). The land (5.5 hectares) was seized as “state land” and it is speculated that it will be allocated to the Har Adar settlement to enable its expansion.

Israel Demolishes Structures in “Agreed Upon Reserve” Near Bethlehem

On December 12th, Israeli forces demolished seven Palestinian structures on land near Bethlehem that was designated as Area B by the Oslo Accords, meaning the Palestinian Authority is supposed to have full control over the civil administration of the land – including building enforcement laws/regulations. These demolitions follow Israel’s decision in August 2024 to memorialize its formal control over construction enforcement in an area of land designated as an “Agreed Upon Reserve” as delineated by the Wye Agreement in 1998, at which time the Palestinian Authority was granted civilian control, much to the dismay of settlers and their government allies who have been agitating for control over an ever-increasing amount of land in the West Bank in order, at least in part, to demolish Palestinian construction in the area.

Weiss Details Work Towards Gaza Settlements

In a detailed and sourced thread on X, Yehuda Shaul (Founder of Ofek) details recent television program featuring Daniella Weiss, the leader of the Nachala Movement and the effort to establish settlements in Gaza. The program delved into Weiss’s 5-stage plan to establish GAza settlements, claiming to have already raised NIS 15 million for the effort (reportedly from Brazilian sources), some of which has been used to purchase 40 caravans, generators and furniture.

Nachala is already at work on all points of this plan, particularly what is labelled as phase 3, “establishing a temporary settlement on the Gaza border to serve as a jumping-off point for entering Gaza when the opportunity presents itself.” Shaul further highlights the role that the IDF’s current presence and entrenchment in Gaza play – Weiss plans to coop military infrastructure to sustain long term settlements.

Settlers Move on Plans to Settle South Lebanon & Syria

+972 Magazine reports on the efforts of various (and growing) settler groups to establish outposts in southern Lebanon and, now, south Syria as the Israeli military occupies these lands.

Last week, settlers succeeded in crossing into Southern Lebanon and erecting a few tents in an attempt to stay there. The IDF removed settlers rather quickly,, but that did not dash the hopes and plans of settlers to establish a long term presence there.

Amos Azaria, who founded the Uri Tsafon organization aimed at settling southern Lebanon, told +972 Magazine:

““The first time we’re evicted, we go…The second time, we stay longer. The [third] time, we stay the night. That’s how we’ll continue until there is a settlement. At first, [the army] demolishes it, and then they reach an agreement that there will be one settlement, and that’s it. In the meantime, we start working on the next settlement. It may not be realistic that the state will build a settlement [of its own accord], but that doesn’t mean the state has to demolish a community that we built. “

Earlier this year Uri Tsfon hosted a conference dedicated to planning the settlement of Lebanon, and in October it published flyers advertising homes for sale across the Israeli border, in sovereign Lebanese territory

On the Uri Tsafon Facebook page many people posted messages expressing urgency in settling territory in Syria. The Nachala Movement, headed by Daniella Weiss, even posted:

“Whoever still thinks it’s possible to leave our fate in the hands of a foreign actor — forsakes Israel’s security! Jewish settlement is the only thing that will bring about regional stability and security for the State of Israel, along with a stable economy, national resilience, and deterrence. In Gaza, in Lebanon, in the entire Golan Heights including the ‘Syrian Plateau,’ and in the entire Mount Hermon.”

U.S. Senator Intro’s Bill to Compel U.S. Adoption of Settler Terminology “Judea and Samaria”

FMEP’s Lara Friedman reports that Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) introduced a bill to “prohibit the use of materials that use the term ‘West Bank’, and for other purposes.” If passed into law, the bill would remove all references to “West Bank” from U.S. government documents, replacing them with the biblical name used by Israeli settlers. This bill mirrors a bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives in March 2024. The House bill has made no progress and gained no new co-sponsors.

Friedman further explains:

“Notably, while both the Cotton bill and HR 7552 explicitly seek to compel the use of the terms “Judea and Samaria” to refer to the entire West Bank, the bills’ text specifies that it is referring to land “annexed by Israel from Jordan during the 1967 Six-Day War.” Which suggests either (a) very sloppy drafting on the part of whomever wrote the bill, (b) that Cotton and Tenney intend the word “annex” in a sense other than the legal one (since as of this writing Israel has not moved to formally annex any of the West Bank other than East Jerusalem and its West Bank environs; or (c) that the drafters of this bill are intentionally seeking to have the US formally recognize West Bank annexation by Israel in advance of – and in fact, irrespective of – a formal declaration of annexation by Israel.”

U.S. Democrats Introduce Bill to Codify Biden’s Sanctions on Violent Settlers

FMEP’s Lara Friedman reports that on December 10th a group of Democratic lawmakers in the Senate and the House of Representative introduced companion legislation that would “codify Executive Order 14115 imposing certain sanctions on persons undermining peace, security, and stability in the West Bank.” Over the past year the Biden Administration has issued a total of 33 sanctions targeting individuals and entities alleged to have participated in violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.

Since the election of Donald Trump (who takes office on January 20, 2025), settlers have prioritized lobbying for the repeal of Biden’s sanctions.

Bonus Reads

“Intensification of Surveillance in East Jerusalem Since October 2023.” (7amleh)
“West Bank Monthly Snapshot – Casualties, Property Damage and Displacement | November 2024” (OCHA OPT)
“Katz orders IDF to prepare for Judea and Samaria escalation” (JNS)

Welcome to FMEP’s Weekly Settlement Report, covering everything you need to know about Israeli settlement activity this week.

To subscribe to this report, please click here.

December 5, 2024

End of Year Rush: High Planning Council Set to Meet Twice to Advance Settlement Plans

Peace Now reports that the Civil Administration’s High Planning Council met on Nov. 4th and is scheduled to meet again on Nov. 11th to consider advancing plans for a total of 501 new settlement units. In total, Peace Now reports that Israel has advanced plans for a total of 8,720 new settlement units in the West Bank in 2024.

The following plans for a total of 274 units were listed on the agenda for November 4th, with all slated to be deposited for public review (a latter stage of the planning process):

83 new units in Elon Moreh settlement, located east of Nablus (for background on the significance of the Elon Moreh settlement, please see here);
79 new units in the Mitzpe Yishai settlement; and,
112 new units in the Ma’ale Amos settlement, located between Bethlehem and Hebron.

The Committee is set to meet again on November 11th with the following plans for a total of 227 new settlement units on the agenda:

196 units in the Telem settlement – ready for final approval. The Telem settlement is located north of Hebron;
21 units in the Eli settlement – ready for deposit. The Eli settlement is located southeast of the Ariel settlement in the central West Bank. Though the Eli settlement previously received Israeli government approval, a “Master Plan” – which officially zones land for distinct purposes (residential, commercial, public) – has never been issued for Eli, meaning all construction there is illegal under Israeli law; and,
10 units in the Givat Ze’ev settlement – ready for final approval. Givat Zeev is located south of Ramallah in an area that is on the Israeli side of the barrier.

Peace Now said in a statement:

“The Israeli government is expanding settlements in the occupied West Bank as part of its broader plan to entrench Israeli control over the territories, thereby harming any chances for a political solution. After more than a year of war, Israelis and Palestinians do not need more settlement expansion but rather hope for peace and a future free from the horrors of war and occupation.”

Settlers Violently Storm Palestinian Towns After Outpost Evacuation

In the early morning hours of December 4th, dozens of settlers marauded two Palestinian cities near Nablus, and were stopped by the IDF from raiding a third. While storming through Huawara and Beit Furik, settlers threw Molotov cocktails setting at least one home and two cars on fire, and violently attacking at least one person with stones and sticks, fracturing his skull. Israeli police said that eight people have been arrested.

The attackers reportedly came from the Yitzhar settlement, and was launched as a response to the IDF’s removal of settlers from a nearby outpost called Hill 617.

In an Editorial entitled, “Israel’s Government Instigates Settler Pogroms Against Palestinians,” the Haaretz Editorial Board writes:

“When Defense Minister Israel Katz announced when he took office that would stop the use of administrative detention orders against settlers, the lawbreakers in the occupied territories immediately understood they had been given a green light to run amok. The spirit of the new commander is that there is no commander, that the extremist settlers are above the law, that the military, the Shin Bet security service and the police must obey them, that the blood of the Palestinians can be shed and that their land and assets are there for the taking. Aware of Katz’s new policy, on Wednesday, dozens of settlers threw Molotov cocktails and set fire to homes and vehicles in the towns of Beit Furik and Hawara, near Nablus.”

Beit Furik has been a repeated target of settler attacks, including a major incursion last month.

Israel Gives Settler Power Over Palestinian Property in East Jerusalem

The Israeli government has appointed Hananel Gurfinkel as the head of a newly established position of Adminstrator General of the Custodian of Absentee Property Division in the Finance Ministry. This role holds the important and powerful task for managing absentee property owned by Palestinians in East Jerusalem.

Gurfinkel lives in the Nof Zion settlement enclave in East Jerusalem, and is the founder of an organization (Boneh Yerushalayim) dedicated to building settlements in East Jerusalem.

For the past ten years, Gurfinkel has worked in the Justice Ministry’s Custodian General’s office, where he managed Jewish-owned absentee property. In that role, Haaretz reports Gurfinkel:

“used his position to aid settler organizations seeking to control Palestinian-owned properties and promote new settlement projects in the city. He facilitated the sale of land in the Silwan area to the pro-settler group Ateret Cohanim, and hired attorneys affiliated with the group and other right-wing organizations to represent the state in eviction cases targeting Palestinian families. Gurfinkel also actively supported right-wing efforts to expand Jewish settlement and reshape the demographic landscape of East Jerusalem.

Before Gurfinkel took his post, the Custodian General’s Office rarely initiated construction plans for properties under its authority. His tenure, however, marked a significant shift, culminating in a collaboration between the Justice Ministry, Ateret Cohanim and a right-wing-managed real estate company, to advance plans for three new Jewish settlements near Palestinian neighborhoods in East Jerusalem.

Hundreds of homes for Jews are set to be built in each of these new neighborhoods, adjacent to or even inside Palestinian communities.

The construction plans include the neighborhoods of Givat Shaked near the Palestinian Arab neighborhood of Sharafat, Kdmat Zion near Ras al-Amud and another neighborhood between the Palestinian villages of Umm Lison and Jabal Mukkaber…

According to Palestinian residents of Sheikh Jarrah, Gurfinkel has been enthusiastic about evicting them.”

Settlement Construction Group is Working in North Gaza, As Israeli Govt Officials Meet with Gaza Settlement Activists

Drop Site news reports that Israel has contracted with private companies specializing in settlement construction to work in northern Gaza. It is reported to be the first confirmation that Israel has hired private contractors to conduct demolitions and construction work in northern Gaza (previously documented in Rafah) – an arrangement which brings Israeli civilians to an area outside of Israel’s internationally recognized borders.

One of the confirmed private construction companies working in northern Gaza, Libi Constriction and Infrastructure Ltd., is owned by settlers and participates widely in settlement construction, including reportedly the Adei Ad outpost, the Itamar settlement, the Revava outpost. The company’s founder (Harel Libi) has a documented criminal history of illegal construction in the West Bank and has been subjected to a removal order in 2012 after participating in violent attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank.For more details on Harel Libi and his construction company, read Drop Site’s reporting.

As Israel’s actions in Gaza continue to come under increased scrutiny (with Amnesty International recognizing it as genocide this week), Israeli government officials and actions on the ground point to a long term Israeli presence. The New York Times documents how the Israeli military has entrenched its presence in Netzarim Corridor – which has been cleared of any signs of life prior to the military’s arrival. Satellite images show at least 19 large IDF bases, 12 of which have been built or expanded since September. There are also dozens of small bases in the area. Israel’s Minister of for Food Security Avi Dichter – who also services on the Isreali Security Cabinet – said at a press conference this week:

“I think most people understand that [Israel] will be [for] years in some kind of West Bank situation where you go in and out and maybe you remain along Netzarim [corridor].”

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich recently advocated for the Palestinian population in Gaza to be “thinned” by half within two years.

Meanwhile, Israeli Housing Minister Yitzhak Goldknopf was photographed on the Gaza border meeting with prominent settlement activists Daniella Weiss, who was seen showing Goldknopf a map of Gaza showing where she plans to establish Israeli settlements.

Goldknopf stated;

“Jewish settlement here is the answer to the terrible massacre and the answer to the international court in The Hague which, instead of caring about the 101 hostages, chose to issue warrants against the Prime Minister and (former) Defense Minister.”

Appearing on Israeli TV last week, Weiss said:

“The moment that entry is possible, we enter,” she said. “We don’t wait for water supply infrastructure, generators or any other preparations. If 300 people enter at once, evacuating them would require 1,000 soldiers.”

Emek Shaveh Challenges Development of Sebastia

In November 2024, Emek Shaveh joined Palestinian landowners and the Sebastia municipality to file a petition against the construction of a military facility g at the summit of the Sebastia archaeological site. The petition complains that the plans violate private property rights and that the Isareli Staff Officer for Archaeology in the Civil Administration did not submit an opinion regarding the potential impact of a military facility on the ancient site.

The plans for construction were disclosed only months after the Israeli army issued a military order seizing the plot of land, and a year after the Israeli government passed a $9 million (NIS 32 million) plan designed to impose Israeli control over the site both logistically and in the narrative about the site’s history. E

Settlers have been openly agitating for Israel to assert control over the archaeological site in Sebastia for years, and the settler Samaria Regional Council organizes regular tours to the site. To secure the settlers’ visits, the IDF shuts down the town of Sebastia, closing Palestinian streets and businesses.

As in other cases across the West Bank, settlers allege that Palestinians are damaging the Sebastia site and that the Israeli government needs to intervene. In 2021 amidst intensifying settler efforts related to the site, the Palestinian Foreign Ministry called on UNESCO to “protect all Palestinian archaeological and religious sites from Israeli violations, attacks and falsifications.” The archaeological site of Sebastia is on the tentative list of World Heritage sites in Palestine.

Recapping Knesset Debate on Annexation via Archaeology

On November 27th, the Knesset’s Education, Culture, and Sports Committee discussed a proposed bill to expand the Israel Antiquities Authority’s jurisdiction into the West Bank, effectively annexing West Bank antiquity sites to Israeli control. This bill is being prepared for a first reading soon.

The discussion, as summarized by Emek Shaveh, included the strong objections to the bill from the Israeli archaeological community, which stressed the move would be tantamount to annexation and have repercussions for Israel. The Committee’s own legal advisor said that the bill is “incompatible with the region’s laws.”

Emek Shaven Director Alon Arad said:

“Advancing this legislative proposal amounts to the annexation of parts of the West Bank and is contrary to international law and agreements to which the State of Israel is a signatory. This is a bad and dangerous legislative proposal that reflects an extreme and messianic Jewish supremacist ideology. It is being promoted against the opinions of professionals and will inevitably harm the State of Israel, its foreign relations, its political horizon, and put its academic community at risk while hollowing out the field [of archaeology] and turning it into nothing more than a political tool.”

Settlers Set Operational Plan for Trump Administration

At the end of November, the settler Yesha Council convened a high-level meeting in Jerusalem to develop a “operational strategy” to implement the expansion of settlements and annexation of the West Bank during the Trump Administration.

The meeting reportedly proposed a plan that would establish 3-4 new settlements and expand the jurisdiction of regional councils over all of the West Bank land, including Palestinian areas (current jurisdictions only include settler populations). In tandem, the group proposes removing he Palestinian Authority from a position of any control and hinting at dismantling it altogether. Israel Hayom reports that MK Boaron explains:

“Instead [of the PA], the Arab population in the West Bank would be under self-governing municipal authorities. These would receive and pay for services from Israel, with residents holding status similar to Jerusalem’s Arab residents. Their national orientation would mirror the pre-1967 arrangement under Jordanian administration.””

MK Boaron also called for transforming the Jordan Valley into a “power generation huib” by building many power stations there. Plans for the two new power stations were recently announced by Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen.

Likud MK Avihai Boaron, who attended the meeting, said:

“We are at a critical juncture – a window of opportunity that we can utilize either wisely or squander. Taking the foolish path would merely result in 700,000 residents and additional housing units four years from now. The wise approach would establish conditions to make Judea, Samaria, and the Jordan Valley inseparable from Israel – not just by creating demographic facts on the ground, but by fundamentally transforming the region’s administrative framework.”

Don’t Miss: New Reports from B’Tselem & Yesh Din

On December 3rd, B’Tselem released a new report on the escalation of brutal policing of Palestinians in Hebron, including patterns of arbitrary arrests, severe beatings and zero accountability. The report presents over 20 testimonies collected between May and August 2024. Victims describe being randomly seized by soldiers, mostly as they were walking down the streets of the city, going about their daily affairs. They were beaten and subjected to severe abuse by soldiers, sometimes in the street, and at other times inside military outposts where they were taken.

In November, Yesh Din released a report documenting at the Abu Awwad family’s case and the severe (and insane) movement restrictions facing the family in the village of Turmusaya in the central West Bank. The family’s sole access to their residential compound, located on the outskirts of the town, was blocked by an earth mound of dirt and stones placed by soldiers and settlers in October 2023. This was only the start of a year of increasing imposition of restrictions imposed on the family by Israeli soldiers. Yesh Din has accompanied the family in filing a petition with the Israeli High Court of Justice to have the earth mound removed.

Happening on the ground:

“The Israeli Government Declared 10 Dunams as State Land to Legalize the Yizhar Cemetery” (Peace Now)
“Settlers from illegal outpost in southern West Bank attacked several Palestinians as IDF soldiers looked on“ (The Times of Israel)
“”Infrastructure for Annexation: The government Decided to Build Israeli Power Plants and Solar Fields in the West Bank” (Peace Now)
“Armenian Christians of Jerusalem say their centuries-old community faces an existential threat” (The World)
“Tranquil day of olive harvesting belies mounting difficulties for Palestinian growers” (The Times of Israel)
“The Lives of Palestinians in the West Bank Are a Triviality to the Israeli Army That Lords Over Them” (Haaretz)
“Palestinian olive harvest under threat from Israeli attacks and restrictions” (BBC)
“Editorial | From Its Ruins, a Settlement: The Story of Umm al-Hiran and the Dark Side of Zionism” (Haaretz)
“The unbearable price Israel would pay for annexation” (Shaul Arieli / The Times of Israel)

Happening in Israeli Government:

“Knesset Committee to Debate Legislation Representing Annexation In Realm of Antiquities” (Emek Shaveh)
“The Knesset Advances the Antiquities Authority Jurisdiction Law in the West Bank: Further Annexation and Harm to Academic Research” (Peace Now)
“The Annexation Moves Hidden in the Arrangements Law” (Peace Now)

News/Analysis on International Sanctions targeting Israeli settlers and related entities:

“U.S. warns Israel against dropping detention of settlers in occupied West Bank” (Axios). Also See: “US: Administrative detention was one of the few tools Israel used to curb settler violence” (The Times of Israel)
“West Bank Settlers, Israeli Government and Int’l Community at a Critical Turning Point” (Haaretz)

Welcome to FMEP’s Weekly Settlement Report, covering everything you need to know about Israeli settlement activity this week.

To subscribe to this report, please click here.

November 22, 2024

Israel Opens Bidding to Build New East Jerusalem Settlement Enclave

Peace Now reports the Israeli Land Authority published a tender for the construction of a new settlement enclave inside of the Palestinian East Jerusalem neighborhood of Beit Safafa.

The tender (No. 367/2024) seeks bids from developers to purchase 11 dunams of land in order to plan and build a residential neighborhood with around 200 settlement units, though that number is not a cap. The tender suggests that the land might be partially under private ownership, and partially under the ownership of the Israeli Development Authority.

Beit Safafa is already in the process of being completely surrounded by Israeli development (for Jewish Israelis) — most notably the newly built Givat Hamatos settlement, the “Lower Aqueduct Plan” and the Givat HaShaked settlement. These settlement plans ultimately create a string of settlements — spanning from Gilo to Givat Hamatos to Har Homa — that, together completely encircle Beit Safafa with Israeli settlement construction.

Peace Now explains:

“The tender designates the Development Authority as the owner of the land or part of it. The Development Authority is an entity established under the Absentees’ Property Law, which transfers all absentees’ properties to the Authority, which then sells the properties to potential buyers. The Absentees’ Property Law was enacted in 1950 in Israel under the special circumstances that arose at that time, when hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were forced to leave their homes and properties in Israel, becoming refugees, and the Israeli government prevented them from returning. The law defined them as “absentees” and allowed the Israeli government to take properties that belonged to Palestinians before 1948 and use them for the development of the country.

In 1967, when the Israeli government annexed East Jerusalem and applied Israeli law to it, the Absentees’ Property Law was also applied to the Jerusalem area, despite there being no connection between the circumstances of 1948 and the situation in Jerusalem after 1967. Thus, if the owner of a plot of land in Beit Safafa, for example, resides in Jordan, the Custodian of Absentee Property declares them an absentee and transfers the plot to the Development Authority.”

Gaza Settlement Planning Continues

The drum beat continues to grow louder for Israel to build (or allow settlers to build) civilian settlements in Gaza. Netanyahu has reportedly added the extreme far-right Israeli ministers Orit Struck and Yitzhak Wasserlauf to the war cabinet as observers. Struck – from Smotrich’s party – and Wasserlauf – from Ben Gvir’s party – have led the call for Israel to establish settlements in Gaza and in south Lebanon.

Meanwhile, Daniella Weiss boasted on Israeli Channel 13 news that she has entered Gaza recently to see the area in which she aims to establish a new Israeli settlement – near the Netzarim Corridor. It’s further reported that Israeli soldiers assisted Weiss on her secret trip, providing her and several colleagues with a ride in a military vehicle from the Gaza border to the area she wanted to see. The IDF has since said Weiss’ field tour was not officially authorized and that it is illegal. Weiss is the leader of the Nachala Movement, which has been leading the call and doing the actual logistical planning to build settlements in Gaza. Weiss has said that the next time she enters Gaza she does not plan to leave, hinting that hundreds of others will join her next time. Weiss says she has secured commitments from 740 Israeli families to join her in building settlements in Gaza.

Weiss has previously said:

“We have political support, we have public support, and we have the experience that we have accumulated in 55 years of settling Judea [and] Samaria [the occupied West Bank], the Golan Heights. We plan to take what we have acquired in the years of settling Judea and Samaria and to do the same thing here in Gaza.”

Elsewhere, the issue of building settlements in Gaza is also growing support – including from the Vice President of Government Relations for the Jewish Federations of North America.

Government to Consider Bill Facilitating Annexation via Settler Land Acquisitions Across West Bank

Peace Now reports that the Ministerial Committee for Legislation (a convening of Ministers which decides whether to throw the governments support and weight behind legislation initiatives in the Knesset) plans to convene in order to decide if it will support a bill that would allow Israelis to buy land in the West Bank without any restrictions.

Under the current law, private, non-Arab individuals cannot purchase land in the West Bank. In 1971, the law was amended to add a loophole allowing companies registered to operate in the West Bank (like the World Zionist Organization and the Jewish National Fund) to purchase property, and often do so only to give it to Israeli settlers. This additional change would open the door for private purchases across the West Bank by settlers and their backers, including in the heart of Palestinian cities. Notably, Israeli security officials have in the past objected to changing this law, based on their recognition of the fact that settlers implanting themselves wherever they want in the West Bank – including in acts intended to be deliberately provocative – will be a security nightmare for the IDF and will enable settlers and their financial patrons to further hijack the national security agenda of the state of Israel.

Peace Now said in a statement:

“This is yet another annexation move initiated by the messianic right. The proposal seeks to allow settlers to purchase land without any oversight throughout the West Bank, effectively making them “landlords” in the West Bank in both symbolic and practical terms. The bill would give a small number of extremist settlers the ability to acquire land and later establish settlements, whether in the heart of Hebron or anywhere else and drag the IDF to risk soldiers’ lives and protect them. Furthermore, the Knesset has no authority to legislate laws for areas that are not under Israeli sovereignty, and the attempt to apply Knesset laws to the occupied territory constitutes annexation and a blatant violation of international law.”

Oz Zion Outpost Demolished, Again

On November 10th, Israeli security forces once again demolished the illegal “Oz Zion” outpost, located on privately owned Palestinian land north of Ramallah. In advance of the demolition, settlers attempted to prevent authorities from reaching the outpost by blocking roads and burning tires. When Border Police officers arrived, settlers attacked them violently trying (unsuccessfully) to stop the demolition. This is the first outpost demolition since Israel Katz took over as Israel’s Defense Minister.

The IDF has demolished Oz Zion several times, including in July and August 2024. Both of those demolitions were approved in advance by Prime Minister Netanyahu and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich (who oversees building enforcement in the West Bank) at the request of the IDF Commander. During the July 2024 demolition, the IDF clashed with settlers at the Oz Zion outpost.

Israel Steps Up Systematically Unjust Demolitions in East Jerusalem

Ir Amim reports on Israel’s accelerating demolitions in the Al-Bustan section of Silwan, an East Jerusalem neighborhood. The demolitions are not just targeting Palestinian homes (including the home of a prominent activist in the neighborhood), but also the Al-Bustan Association building, a community and resource center that served over 1,000 Palestinians residents of Al Bustan who have been abandoned – and now targeted with demolitions – by the Israeli government. In the past few weeks Israel has demolished at least 8 structures, displacing no fewer than 30 people. Over 100 more homes in Al Bustan remain under threat of demolition.

Peace Now explains the urgency of what Al-Bustan is facing:

“In the past year, at least nine buildings have been demolished in the neighborhood, eight of them in the past two weeks alone. These demolitions have left dozens of Palestinian residents homeless. The scale of the demolitions raises concerns that the Israeli government and Jerusalem Municipality intend to fully implement the “King’s Garden” plan without considering reasonable and fair solutions for the neighborhood’s residents. The timing of these demolitions strengthens the perception that Donald Trump’s election as U.S. President and the new administration are seen in Israel as an opportunity to establish facts on the ground. These actions aim to create a buffer zone around the Old City Basin, controlled by settlers, while displacing Palestinian residents.

It appears that with Trump’s election, the struggle over East Jerusalem has intensified. The primary victims are the Palestinian residents of East Jerusalem, as well as all those who aspire to peace through the vision of two states for two peoples.”

The Israeli government says that it is carrying out these demolitions in accordance with Israeli law, under which Palestinians have built these structures illegally. Indeed – much Palestinian construction in Al-Bustan (as in all of East Jerusalem) does not have Israeli-issued permits, permits which are systematically denied to Palestinians should they choose to conform with Israeli law. In 2009, residents of Al-Bustan submitted a master plan for their neighborhood in order to bring existing and future construction into conformity with Israeli law. Their plan was rejected. Instead, the Israeli mayor of Jerusalem proposed the “Kings Garden” plan, proposing to evacuate all living residents from the area and building an orchard.

Peace Now writes:

“The King’s Garden plan is part of a broader government plan to develop tourism and reshape public spaces in and around the Old City. It aims to create a continuous chain of tourist sites extending from the Old City to the archaeological site of the City of David, through the “King’s Garden” in Al-Bustan, and on to the Hinnom Valley. In this entire area, construction or development for Palestinian needs is prohibited, and the tourist sites are operated by the settler organization Elad. Al-Bustan neighborhood effectively “blocks” the completion of the tourism corridor that the government and settlers aim to establish around the Old City.”

Ir Amim explains:

“Al Bustan is a prime example of Israel’s longstanding discriminatory planning and housing policy in East Jerusalem. Despite Palestinians constituting nearly 40% of the city’s population, the Israeli government continues to abdicate responsibility for providing them with housing opportunities while selectively imposing demolitions of their homes. In the absence of equitable urban planning and housing solutions, Palestinians are either forced out of Jerusalem or compelled to construct homes without building permits, which subjects them to the threat of demolition. This has thus led to acute housing deprivation among Palestinians and serves as a mechanism of dispossession and displacement.”

New Israeli Defense Minister Announces End of Authority to Hold Violent Settlers in Administrative Detention

The newly installed Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced that he has directed the Shin Bet to stop the use of administration detention against Israeli settlers, an authority which allows Israel to hold individuals in custody with no charges for up to six months, and can be renewed indefinitely. Katz ordered Shin Bet Chief Ronen Bar to “put alternative tools in place.”

Explaining this move, Katz said in a statement:

“in a reality where the Jewish settlement in Judea and Samaria is subject to serious Palestinian terror threats and unjustified international sanctions are taken against the settlers, it is not appropriate for the State of Israel to take such a severe measure against the people of the settlements.”

According to Amnesty International, “Israeli authorities have a history of incarcerating Palestinians without charge or trial through their systematic use of administrative detention, a key feature of Israel’s system of apartheid. According to Israeli human rights organization Hamoked, as of 1 July Israeli authorities were holding 3,379 people under administrative detention, the vast majority of whom are Palestinians from the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem.”

Biden Admin Sanctions Amana, Others

On November 18th, the United States announced it has imposed sanctions on three Israeli settlers and 3 settlement related entities – including the Amana organization and one of its subsidiaries. Amana is a central player in Israel’s settlement enterprise, it buys and develops land and funds both settlement and illegal outpost construction. Peace Now reports Amana holds assets valued at over $160.4million (NIS 600 million) and is considered the “mother and father” of the outposts.

The U.S. Department of State announced:

“the Department of the Treasury is sanctioning Amana, the largest organization involved in settlement and illegal outpost development in the West Bank, and its subsidiary Binyanei Bar Amana Ltd. Amana has established dozens of illegal settler outposts and directly engaged in dispossession of private land owned by Palestinians in its support of settlers.”

The U.S. is the third country to sanction Amana, first was Canada then the United Kingdom. It’s understood that Amana is the most impactful target of international sanctions that have been announced thus far, with the greatest potential to impact events on the ground because of how integrated Amana is in the settlement enterprise including its relationship with the Israeli government.

Amana responded in a statement:

“The sanctions announced today are the result of baseless slander directed at Amana by hostile and extremist sources. Had the U.S. administration bothered to investigate them, rather than relying on malicious publications, it would have been discovered that they indeed have no factual basis, and would have refrained from acting against us.

Let us remind you: the settlement enterprise has already faced tough decrees in the past, including development freezes, but it has always emerged stronger. This will happen again. We are confident that with the change of government in Washington, and with the proper and necessary action by the Israeli government, all sanctions will be lifted, and settlement will continue to embody the Zionist vision. As it is written: “But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew [Exodus 1:12].”

In addition, Ynet suggests that the Biden Administration is aiming for even more sanctions prior to vacating power – including sanctions against Israeli National Security Minister Ben Gvir.

Unsurprisingly, Amana’s executives are expecting the incoming Trump Administration to revoke all of the sanctions the Biden Administration has used to target settlers and settler entities involved in violence against and dispossession of Palestinians. On November 19th Trump’s nominee to be the next U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee – a Christian Zionist – told settler run media news that there is no occupation, that he refuses the term West Bank and instead calls the land Judea and Samaria, and, that Israel has had (and continues to have) a right to the land for 3,500 years.

Smotrich Orders Civil Admin to Prepare Infrastructure for Annexation

On November 12th, Israeli Finance Minister and de-facto governor of the West Bank, Bezalel Smotrich, issued an order for the Settlement Division of the Israeli Civil Administration (which he runs) to “prepare the necessary infrastructure for applying sovereignty” across the West Bank, continuing that “now the time has come to do so.” For years, Smotrich and his far-right allies have pushed the Israeli government to build new infrastructure in order to connect illegal outposts to Israeli services (water, roads, electricity, telecoms, waste management, etc), a goal which has been slowed (but not prevented) by Israel’s legal consideration of private Palestinian ownership of land that Israel needs in order to establish those services. Smotrich call is not only for the annexation of the land but also for the systematic violation of private Palestinian ownership of land in the West Bank in order to facilitate Israeli settlement there.

Smotrich also told the Knesset that ending the possibility of a Palestinian state (which he sees as a threat) can only be achieved by “apply[ing] Israeli sovereignty over the entire settlements in Judea and Samaria.” Smotrich said he wants the Israeli government to formalize its authority to work with the incoming Trump Administration to advance, apply, and gain international recognition of Israeli annexation of the West Bank.

Smotrich has said:

“After years in which, unfortunately, the current administration chose to interfere in Israeli democracy and personally refused to cooperate with me as Israel’s finance minister, Trump’s victory also brings an important opportunity…2025 is the year of sovereignty in Judea and Samaria. The new Nazis need to pay a price through land that will be permanently taken from them, both in Gaza and in Judea and Samaria.”

Dr. Hanan Ashrawi said in response to Smotrich’s recent declarations:

“When Israeli officials (Netanyahu & Smotrich) openly declare their intention to impose Israeli sovereignty over all the West Bank, they’re just articulating what they’ve been doing gradually over decades with American officials disingenuously denying that this is Israeli policy. Annexation, land theft, ethnic cleansing, & erasure of Palestine are the genocidal intent of Israel. Observe carefully.”

Israeli Government, Trump Officials Start Planning Annexation Steps

With an unabashedly pro-Israel Cabinet taking shape to lead the incoming Trump Administration, Netanyahu and his governing partners are planning for annexation of the West Bank.

Israeli journalists Yehuda Schlesinger and Hanan Greenwood published an article in Israel Hayom on November 12th reporting that Netanyahu has spoken with President-elect Trump three times since the election, and that Netanyahu’s coalition is preparing to quickly advance annexation when the Trump Administration’s in inaugurated. The plan is largely based on the work carried out by former Minister Yariv Levin during the first Trump term. Levin’s work included drafting maps and government decisions necessary to enact annexation, which remain ready to go.

The plan is reportedly to immediately annex large areas of settlements the government believes are “consensus areas,” including Maale Adumim, the Jordan Valley and the Etzion Bloc. It’s not clear whose “consensus” the Israeli government is counting, but it is worth noting there was considerable international push back against Netanyahu’s 2019 plan to annex the Jordan Valley (some 22% of the West Bank) – a move that would have serious regional implications given the role Jordan plays. From there, the Netanyahu government is planning to convene the Civil Administration’s High Planning Council every three months if not more frequently to advance settlement construction with the goal of reaching 1 million settlers in the West Bank within 10 years.

Talking about his conversations with Trump, Netanyahu said:

“They were good and very important conversations,” said Netanyahu, “conversations that were intended to further strengthen the firm alliance between Israel and the United States. We see eye-to-eye on all components of the Iranian threat and the danger it poses. We also see the great opportunities that are before Israel in the sphere of peace and its expansion, and other spheres.”

In addition, Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer met with incoming President Trump and his son-in-law Jared Kushner on November 10th.

Welcome to FMEP’s Weekly Settlement Report, covering everything you need to know about Israeli settlement activity this week.

To subscribe to this report, please click here.

November 8, 2024

Givat Hamatos Expansion Plan to Advance
MK Sukkot Introduces Bill to Legalize All Outposts
Settlers Lead Pogrom in al-Bireh
Mapping the Settler-Led Expulsions of 50+ Palestinian Communities Since 2022
Settlers Rejoice Over U.S. Election Results
Netanyahu Appoints Kahanist Settler as New Ambassador to the U.S.
Bonus Reads

Givat Hamatos Expansion Plan to Advance

Ir Amim reports the Jerusalem District Court was scheduled to meet on November 5th (coinciding with the U.S. presidential election) to advance a highly controversial plan to expand the Givat Hamatos settlement in East Jerusalem (called the “Hebron Road”). The outcome of hte meeting has not been reported at the time of publication, though Ir Amim expected the Committee to discuss and dismiss objections to the plan, advancing it to the final approval stage.

The plan to expand Givat Hamatos calls for 3,500 new settlement housing units in addition to 1,300 hotel rooms to be built on the eastern slopes of the settlement. This plan will double the number of housing units in the Givat Hamatos settlement and increase its land mass by 40%. Further, the new settlement will be built on a strategic strip of land that will expand the area of Givat Hamatos eastward, connecting it with another new settlement plan – the “Lower Aqueduct Plan.” These plans ultimately create a string of settlements — spanning from Gilo to Givat Hamatos to Har Homa — that, together with the planned “Givat HaShaked” settlement to its north, completely encircle the East Jerusalem Palestinian neighborhood of Beit Safafa with Israeli settlement construction.

Ir Amim comments:

“Currently under construction, Givat Hamatos is the first new settlement to be built in East Jerusalem in over 20 years. These two plans along with concurrent settlement advancements in the area are cumulatively sealing-off East Jerusalem’s southern border from Bethlehem and the southern West Bank, while creating more contiguity with the Gush Etzion settlements. Rather than utilizing these plans to address the acute housing needs of the local Palestinian population, they are instead intended for Jewish Israelis despite the land’s proximity to Palestinian neighborhoods, including Beit Safafa, which is being encircled and choked-off by Israel settlements.”

MK Sukkot Introduces Bill to Legalize All Outposts

MK Zvi Sukkot has tabled a draft bill that would grant legal status (under Israeli law) to ~140 outposts across the West Bank. The bill would transform illegal outposts – regardless of the status of land on which settlers built on – into government-recognized settlements within two years, connecting the outposts to all Israeli infrastructure and services – entrenching the presence of radical (and often violent) Israeli settlers on Palestinian land near Palestinian population centers.

Settlers and their allies in the Knesset have been pushing for years for the government to grant formal recognition to outposts. The coalition agreements which brought the current Israeli government into power included a commitment to the full recognition and integration of outposts. The government has done a lot to fulfill this pledge, as seen in the actions taken to legalize the Homesh outpost, the Evyatar outpost, and the Israeli Cabinet’s February 2023 decision to legalize ten of the most isolated, legally complicated outposts. That decision also included approval of a clause that makes the remaining outposts eligible – right away, even as they remain illegal – to receive Israeli municipal services like water and electricity.

Settlers Lead Pogrom in al-Bireh

At 3am on November 4th, a group of masked settlers violently attacked the Palestinian town of El-Bireh (near downtown Hebron) – leaving at least 17 cars on fire and buildings defaced with the slogan, “For Judea and Samaria – War.” The armed settlers shot at Palestinians attempting to stop the pogrom and put out the fires and they shot at an ambulance arriving at the scene. Reuters described the settler’s attach as “one of their boldest raids yet in the area that serves as the Palestinians’ seat of government in the occupied West Bank.”

The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights said in a statement:

“The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) strongly condemns Israeli armed settlers’ attack on two towns in Ramallah, central West Bank, and burning 19 vehicles. This incident follows a month during which settlers carried out more than 180 attacks, primarily against olive harvesters, in an alarming escalation of state-backed violence across the West Bank.

These crimes are part of a broader systematic violence by settlers under the protection of IOF. This violence persists amid an atmosphere of impunity and protection settlers receive within Israel, perpetuating a broader policy of demographic change and entrenching Israel’s sovereignty and grip on the West Bank, as well as furthering the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians…

PCHR condemns settler violence, pointing out that most of it occurs under the protection of IOF, which intervene to secure settlers during their attacks and their subsequent withdrawal while suppressing Palestinians attempting self-defense. Often, no serious complaints or investigations are pursued.”

Mapping the Settler-Led Expulsions of 50+ Palestinian Communities Since 2022

The Israeli settlement watchdog group Kerem Navot has published a new map with aerial photography documenting the expulsion of 50+ Palestinian communities which have been targeted by settler terrorism. The map contains two aerial photos (one before and one after the expulsion) for each community.

The need for such a map came into focus after the Palestinian residents of Ras al-Tin left their land under constant threat of violence by the nearby agricultural outpost called Micha’s Farm. Kerem Navot explains:

“After the expulsion of the residents of Ras Al Tin, we [Kerem Navot] described the event here as unprecedented at that time. What we didn’t know was that this would become a pattern, one that would repeat itself in dozens of other Palestinian communities and settlement clusters in the coming years, reshaping the map of the West Bank.

The “success” of the settlers in Ras Al Tin inspired settlers in other areas of the West Bank to adopt similar methods. During the 15 months between the expulsion of the residents of Ras al-Tin and the massacre on October 7, 2023, five more Palestinian shepherd communities were forcibly removed.

…Even though this violence is primarily carried out by settler gangs, it proceeds without fear or concern for law enforcement authorities. This impunity reflects a clear and consistent policy advanced by successive Israeli governments. Especially the current one, which is more corrupt and racist than its predecessors, aiming to effectively annex increasing parts of the West Bank, devoid of its Palestinian population.”

Settlers Rejoice Over U.S. Election Results

Settlers have been celebrating the election of Donald Trump as the next U.S. President, and Netanyahu was amongst the first foreign leaders to congratulate Trump on his victory. Ben Gvir said in the Knesset that “this is the time for sovereignty, the time for total victory, ” and Israel Ganz (head of the Yesha Council) called for the government to annex the West Bank, posting on X:

“Time for sovereignty! One strong Trump, One Jewish state.”

Mayor of the Beit El settlement, said that Trump’s election heralded “a golden age for settlement” continuing:

“This is an unparalleled opportunity to act with great resolve in the Judea and Samaria region, to put an end to the murderous terrorism here, and to continue Israeli construction widely and extensively in all our territory…This is the time to apply sovereignty to Judea and Samaria and to recognize the region is part of the complete Israel…there will not be two states here between the sea and Jordan.”

Settlers widely hope (and expect) Trump to repeal the Biden Administration’s sanctions against Israeli settlers and settler identities. So far, Biden has sanctioned 14 settlers and 13 settler entities.

Al-Monitor reports that settler leader Yossi Dagan (head of the Samaria Regional Council) has close ties to the Trump inner circle after making several visits to the U.S. over the past few months – rallying Jewish communities in swing states to vote for Trump. Dagan also campaigned in Israel to get U.S. citizens living there to vote. Dagan told Haaretz:

“A great burden has been lifted, a great weight. The American pressure affected everything regarding security and the settlements. I believe that this pressure will stop or weaken. It’s still too early to know what will change, but it’s clear that the Israeli government won’t be able to come and say that there is American pressure.”

Netanyahu Appoints Kahanist Settler as New Ambassador to the U.S.

Prime Minister Netanyahu has appointed Yechiel Lieter as Israel’s new Ambassador to the United States. Born in the U.S., Lieter is has extreme far-right roots in Israel. He has been active in the settlement movement and lives in the Eli settlement. The Times of Israel reports Lieter was one of the first residents of the Admot Yishai settlement enclave in the city Hebron, and two years later he founded an organization to support more settlement growth there. In his youth, he was active in the Jewish Defense League – a designated terrorist group founded by extremist rabbi Meir Kahane.

More recently, Lieter served as a senior fellow at the Kohelet Policy Forum (which has played a hugely significant role in shaping Israel’s far-right legislative agenda) and has published articles calling for Israel to annex the West Bank and dismantle the Palestinian Authority. He campaigned against hte Oslo Accords in the 90s.

Haaretz reports that Lieter is close to David Friedman, who served as the U.S. Ambassador to Israel during Trump’s first term.

In a statement on Leiter’s appointment, Hadar Susskind (CEO of Americans for Peace Now) said:

“Netanyahu has never been subtle, and this appointment is no different. Sending a Kahanist settler to Washington is a clear sign that Netanyahu and his government are moving toward their goal of annexation and doing so openly.”

Bonus Reads

“DAWN: Sanction Amana Settlement Organization and Its Leadership for Promoting Settler Violence, Seizing Private Palestinian Land” (DAWN)
“In Masafer Yatta, our very right to education is under fire” (+972 Magazine)

Welcome to FMEP’s Weekly Settlement Report, covering everything you need to know about Israeli settlement activity this week.

To subscribe to this report, please click here.

November 1, 2024

Israel is Bolstering Settlement Militias
Yesha Council Pushes Intervention to Ease International Sanctions
Smotrich, Saar Call for Annexation, Enlists U.S. Evangelical Support
Settlers Continue to Terrorize Palestinians & Hamper Olive Harvest
Bonus Reads

Israel is Bolstering Settlement Militias

The Samaria Regional Council recently announced that it purchased new long range rifles to equip settler militias guarding 30 settlements, reportedly purchased with the help of international donations, and 500 guns for women living in settlements. The head of the Council, Yossi Dagan, also announced he had purchased advanced surveillance equipment including drones and night vision devices. These militias – known as standby squads, rapid response teams, and/or settlement defense teams – are composed of local settlers, usually veterans but not actively serving in the IDF.

Ynet also reports that the IDF’s West Bank division is focused on fortifying settlements by sending additional arms and equipment as well as deploying reservists to the West Bank.

Yesha Council Pushes Intervention to Ease International Sanctions

The hugely powerful settler lobby, the Yesha Council, asked the Israeli State Comptroller urging the office to review how the Israeli government has internally responded to international sanctions against settlers and settler entities. The Yesha Council is frustrated with what it perceives as inaction to reverse sanctions and forestall further sanctions.

The Chairman of the Yesha Council, Yisrael Ganz, has previously requested the government to appoint a “Sanctions Czar” to take on this portfolio. Ganz told JNS:

“The sanctions are a danger to the sovereignty of the State of Israel. This is a slippery slope and the Israeli government is not doing enough in this regard to protect its sovereignty. We must not allow other countries, even if they are friendly, to dictate policies and control citizens and non-parliamentary organizations.”

Ganz also told Reuters:

“If Trump takes the election, there will be no sanctions. If Trump loses the election, we will in the state of Israel … have a problem with sanctions that the government over here has to deal with.”

Meanwhile, the Kohelet Forum – which has played a hugely significant role in shaping Israel’s far-right legislative agenda – published a new report claiming to prove that the United Nations OCHA-OPT (The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in the Occupied Palestinian Territory,) is a key driver of the international sanctions targeting settlers and settler entities. The report claims OCHA-OPT has published biased and false reports, and recommends cutting off official cooperation between Israel and the organization – to include denying visas and permits to its employees.

Smotrich, Saar Call for Annexation, Enlists U.S. Evangelical Support

On October 28 Bezalel Smotrich – who serves as Israel’s Finance Minister and a minister in the Defense Ministry who has effective control over civilian affairs in the West Bank Area C – made a speech at a conference in Jerusalem that called for Israel to unilaterally annex the West Bank and Gaza and the establishment of settlements across the land. At the same event Gidon Saar – head of the New Hope Part and expected to be the next Defense Minister – also supported annexation, saying Israel must put up an “iron wall” against international support for a two state solution.

The conference was hosted by Israel365, an Israeli media company focused on cultivating U.S. evangelical support for Israel. The Executive Director Tuly Weisz wrote an op-ed in The Jerusalem Post (which co-sponsored the 2023 conference) after the conference explaining that his motivation for his work lay (in part) in the recent book published by former U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman. In the book, Friedman rejects Palestinian statehood and calls for Israeli sovereignty over the West Bank while denying Palestinians equal voting rights.

Bonus Reads

“The Israeli task force deporting foreign activists from the West Bank” (+972 Magazine)
“A Palestinian Family Goes to Pick Olives. It Ends in an Execution by Israeli Soldiers” (Haaretz)
“Israeli settlers in Gaza? Netanyahu’s allies lay out a strategy” (NPR)
“’You Entered Gaza to Take Revenge’: Mourners Eulogize IDF Soldier, West Bank Settler” (Haaretz)
“A History of Settlements” (NPR)

Welcome to FMEP’s Weekly Settlement Report, covering everything you need to know about Israeli settlement activity this week.

To subscribe to this report, please click here.

October 25, 2024

Three New (Violent) Outposts Reported
Nachala Movement, Ministers Prepare for Gaza Settlement & Call for Expulsion of Palestinians
IDF Recruits, Pays Settlers in Reserves to Guard Outposts
Settlers Continue to Terrorize Palestinians & Hamper Olive Harvest
Bonus Reads

>Three New (Violent) Outposts Reported

Haaretz reports that two months ago settlers established a new illegal (even under Israeli law) outpost near the Khan al-Ahmar community on lands east of Jerusalem, and those illegal squatters are now routinely harassing and threatening the bedouin. The settlers have prevented children from attending school by blocking access to a path that leads near the outpost. As a Thereminder, the Khan al-Ahmar bedouin community has been in a years-long battle against the Israeli government, which insists their presence there is illegal and has sought to forcibly relocate the villages in order to construct the E-1 settlement.

The Israeli Civil Administration told Haaretz that there is no evacuation order against the illegal outpost, even though Israeli officers toured the outpost. The power over enforcement of Israeli planning law in the West Bank is in the hands of Bezalel Smotrich, who founded the organization Regavim which is/was a main instigator in the effort to push Khan al-Ahmar off its land.

The Times of Israel reports that in recent weeks settlers established a new outpost near the village of Tuba in the South Hebron Hills are also terrorizing nearby Palestinians and preventing children from making it to school. Video captured a settler stopping a Palestinian car, ordering the driver to open the trunk, and the settler proceeding to steal children’s backpacks along with other items.

In addition, Wafa reports a new outpost on lands just east of Hebron. The village council of Bayrin reports that settlers from the Susiya, Bnei Hefer, and Kiryat Arba settlements have built what looks like the start of a herding/agricultural outpost on its land. The outpost currently consists of a large tent and a caravan with Israeli flags.

Nachala Movement, Ministers Prepare for Gaza Settlement & Call for Expulsion of Palestinians

On October 20th, the settler movement Nachala organized a two-day conference near Kibbutz Be’eri to prepare for the establishment of Israeli settlements in Gaza – not just in a political sense but in practical terms. Daniel Weiss, the leader of Nachala who is under Canadian sanctions, said that she has paid for 40 buildings, and 700 families are committed to settling in Gaza and that:

“We came here with one clear purpose: to settle the entire Gaza Strip… Every inch from north to south.”

Weiss urged Palestinians to voluntarily leave Gaza, and that the first settlement will be built by the end of the year, stating:

“What we’re doing here is a copy-paste to Gaza. It’s not for nothing that we went through 50 years of effort and came out successful.”

When asked about Netanyahu’s public opposition to their goal – something Bibi has called “unrealistic” – Weiss said:

“Oh, how I love that word…It’s like a sweet treat for my ears. Because that’s exactly what they told me about settling Judea and Samaria. So when they tell me settling in Gaza is unrealistic, I know it can be done.”

The event was officially promoted by the Likud Party and four ministers were in attendance: Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, Development of the Negev and Galilee Minister Yitzhak Wasserlauf, and Social Equality and Women’s Empowerment Minister May Golan – from Netanyahu’s Likud Party. Several Knesset members were also in attendance at the event, which occasionally broke out in chants supporting Rabbi Meir Kahane.

After dancing in celebration and leading the conference in song, Ben-Gvir said:

“If we want it, we can renew settlements in Gaza.” And later, “We are the owners of this land..They [Palestinians] understand that when Israel acts like the rightful owners of this land, that is what brings results….[Israel should encourage] voluntary transfer of all Gazan citizens. We will offer them the opportunity to move to other countries because that land belongs to us.”

Following the event, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich shared similar sentiments on X, saying:

“What we have learned this year is that everything is up to us. We are the owners of this land. Yes, we experienced a terrible catastrophe. But what we need to understand, one year later – so many Israelis have changed their thinking. They have changed their mindset. They understand that when Israel acts like the rightful owners of this land, this is what brings results.”

IDF Recruits, Pays Settlers in Reserves to Guard Outposts

Haaretz reports there is a special effort to recruit settlers in the Israeli army reserves to serve as security guards for illegal Israeli outposts across the West Bank, and even help establish new outposts. Settlers themselves are doing the recruiting, banding together battalions of settler-soldiers paid by the State to protect to secure the illegal activities of settlers. An ad posted to a WhatsApp group read:

“We’re a group of 18-year-olds who are forming an outpost in the Hebron Hills [in the southern West Bank] and are looking for someone who has completed military service to sign up as a soldier from the regional defense battalion. … He will receive a salary and rifle and be with us in practice.”

Settlers Continue to Terrorize Palestinians & Hamper Olive Harvest

Here is a sampling of reports on settler violence and interference in the Palestinian olive harvest:

Settlers attack harvesters and set fire to Palestinian homes, property in Jalud (October 19th)
Attack in Hizma October 25th: https://english.wafa.ps/Pages/Details/150821
Soldiers seize harvest in Lubba al-Sharqiy (October 25th)
Soldiers seize tractor and tent from Jordan Valley village (October 19th)
Settlers force harvesters off land in Rojib, east of Nablus. (October 19th)
Settlers attack Palestinian harvesters in Deir Istiya, and steal their property (October 19th)

It is almost unimaginable, but there are still farmers in Gaza attempting to harvest this season. Al-Monitor reports that Palestinians in Deir al-Balah are picking olives in constant fear of Israeli strikes.

Bonus Reads

“Ireland eyes revival of bill to ban trade with Israeli settlements” (The Times of Israel)
“UK sanctions on settlers are making a difference. Take it from an Israeli – they should go further” (The Guardian)

Welcome to FMEP’s Weekly Settlement Report, covering everything you need to know about Israeli settlement activity this week.

To subscribe to this report, please click here.

October 17, 2024

ILA Approves Tenders for Significant Expansion of Ramat Shlomo Settlement in E Jerusalem
As Palestinian Olive Harvest Starts, Rampant Settler Violence Already Documented as International Activists Are Deported
U.K. Sanctions Seven Settler Entities, Including Amana
Israeli AG Asks for More Paperwork Before Govt Provides Bomb Shelters to Illegal Outposts
Likud Party Shares Invite “Preparing to Settle” Gaza
Peace Now Reports On Post-October 7th West Bank Expansion
Bonus Reads

ILA Approves Tenders for Significant Expansion of Ramat Shlomo Settlement in E Jerusalem

Ir Amim reports that on October 14th the Israel Lands Authority (ILA) published a tender for the expansion of the Ramat Shlomo settlement located on the northern border of East Jerusalem. The tender covers the construction of 286 new settlement units in an open patch of land north of the currently built-up settlement area, expanding the settlement north towards the edge of the Palestinian neighborhood of Beit Hanina. This tender is part of a larger plan for a total of 650 new settlement units units. After approving the tender, the ILA decided to delay its publication date (on which the tender will open for bids) to some time after November 20th.

Ir Amim writes:

“If built, these units would further fragment Palestinian space, achieving two goals of Israeli policy in East Jerusalem: (1) Further complicating the possibility of drawing the future border of a Palestinian capital in Jerusalem and, (2) blocking the ability of Palestinian neighborhoods (Beit Hanina, in this case) to expand and develop in order to meet the needs of their population.”

As Palestinian Olive Harvest Starts, Rampant Settler Violence Already Documented as International Activists Are Deported

The Palestinian olive harvest kicked off October 10th and farmers are already facing harassment and violence by settlers, who are unrestrained by IDF (absence of) enforcement. In addition to the violence, settlers have also been filmed harvesting olives from privately owned orchards. National Security Minister Ben Gvir called on Netanyahu to cancel the olive harvest entirely.

A statement by 12 UN experts called on the Israeli government to protect Palestinians, saying:

“Restricting olive harvests, destroying orchards and banning access to water sources is an attempt by Israel to expand its illegal settlements.”

In addition, the Israeli government has deported at least two American citizens volunteering through an organization called Fazaa to accompany Palestinian farmers during the olive harvest. According to Fazaa, the two volunteers were arrested and interrogated by Israeli soldiers who accused them of violating a closed military zone order. The Israeli government accused the two volunteers of being anarchists and supporting Hamas

According to Haaretz, 17 foreign activists have deported in recent months – – tracking the creation of a team with the IDF dedicated tracking activists in the West Bank.

U.K. Sanctions Seven Settler Entities, Including Amana

On October 15th, the United Kingdom imposed sanctions on three Israeli outposts and four settler groups – including the very powerful Amana organization. Prime Minister Keir Starmer also told the BBC that his government is also considering imposing sanctions on Israeli Ministers Smotrich and Ben Gvir.

U.K. Foreign Secretary David Lammy said in a statement:

“When I went to the West Bank earlier this year, on one of my first trips as Foreign Secretary, I met with Palestinians whose communities have suffered horrific violence at the hands of Israeli settlers. The inaction of the Israeli government has allowed an environment of impunity to flourish where settler violence has been allowed to increase unchecked. Settlers have shockingly even targeted schools and families with young children. Today’s measures will help bring accountability to those who have supported and perpetrated such heinous abuses of human rights. The Israeli government must crack down on settler violence and stop settler expansion on Palestinian land. As long as violent extremists remain unaccountable, the UK and the international community will continue to act.”

The Amana organization is deeply intertwined with the entire settlement enterprise in both legal and illegal (under Israeli law) ways. It plays a central and influential role in the realm of settler political leadership, is very well financed, and owns and develops a large portfolio of land in the West Bank for settlements and outposts. The Times of Israel describes Amana as “ the settlement movement’s development arm and the most prominent Israeli development organization in the West Bank.” The U.K. follows Canada as the second country to impose sanctions on Amana, a growing movement that a group of U.S. Senators urged the Biden Administration to join.

The U.K-sanctioned outposts are:

Tirzah Valley Farm outpost (the U.K. previously sanctioned Moshe Sharvit, who founded the Meitarim outpost);
Meitarim outpost (the U.K. previously sanctioned Yinon Levy, who founded the Meitarim outpost); and,
Shuvi Eretz outpost.

The U.K. also sanctioned the following organizations in addition to Amana:

Od Yosef Chai Yeshiva – a notoriously violent religious school located in the Yitzhar settlement;
Torat Lechima – an Israeli charitable organization; and,
“Hashomer Yosh” – and Israeli organization which brings volunteers to illegal outposts.

Israeli AG Asks for More Paperwork Before Govt Provides Bomb Shelters to Illegal Outposts

Israel’s Attorney General has slowed a plan approved by the Israeli Cabinet to place mobile bomb shelters in illegal outposts. Chastising the Cabinet in a letter to Prime Minister Netanyahu, AG Baharv-Miara insists that such a decision must be reviewed by professionals, a budget impact must be prepared, and a legal position paper must be issued.

In response, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich – who also serves as a minister in the Defense Ministry where he acts as the de facto governor of the West Bank – said:

“We will continue to fix, regulate, and create de facto sovereignty, and the attorney general will continue to interfere… [thanks to] the cabinet ministers for voting unanimously in favor of the decision…we are continuing together and with all our strength for the sake of settlement and security.”

Likud Party Shares Invite “Preparing to Settle” Gaza

Haaretz reports that the Likud Party has issued an invitation to an event promoting Israel’s resettlement of Gaza. Hosted by Daniel Weiss’s Nachala settlement group, the event is scheduled to be held next week near the Gaza buffer zone, and at least eight Member of Knesset are expected to attend including Ben-Gvir, Smotrich, Eliyahu, and Wasserlauf.

In a statement, the Nachala group said:

“the event is not just a theoretical conference, but a practical exercise and preparation for renewed settlement in Gaza…the return to settlement in Gaza is no longer just an idea but a process that is already in advanced stages, with government and public support.”

Peace Now Reports On Post-October 7th West Bank Expansion

In a new report, Peace Now detailing Israel’s rapid annexation of land in Area C – including 5 new settlements, 43 new outposts, new roads, and plans for 8,681 new settlement units – since October 2023.

Peace Now writes:

“After a year of war in Gaza and nearly two years under an extreme right-wing, pro-settler government, the Israeli government’s policy in the occupied West Bank has become fully apparent: annexing the West Bank and shrinking Palestinian space in Area C.

This policy is being carried out through the establishment of a record number of illegal outposts, a sharp increase in the quantity and intensity of settler violence—described by the head of the General Security Service (Shin Bet) as Jewish terrorism—closures of roads and highways, and unprecedented measures to legalize and fund illegal outposts. At the same time, the government is completing an administrative infrastructure for the annexation of the West Bank, by transferring powers from the Civil Administration, a military body, to the newly created Settlement Administration, a civil and political administration under the direct authority and control of Minister Smotrich.”

Bonus Reads

“Shin Bet Accuses Israel Police of Ignoring Dangers of Jewish Terror as Rift Between Authorities Deepens” (Haaretz)
“Israel’s new tactic to seizing West Bank lands: Settlement ‘buffer zones’” (Middle East Eye)
“Israel Land Authority tells UNRWA to evacuate Jerusalem premises for breaching lease” (The Times of Israel)
“UNRWA headquarters in Jerusalem to be seized” (Israel Hayom)
“Beita’s resurgent civil resistance after a year of settler attacks” (Mondoweiss)

Welcome to FMEP’s Weekly Settlement Report, covering everything you need to know about Israeli settlement activity this week.

To subscribe to this report, please click here.

October 4, 2024

U.S. Imposes Sanctions on “Hilltop Youth” Settler Terror Group & Two Individuals
Prominent U.S. Senators Call for Biden Admin to Sanction Amana Settler Group
Settlers Push Settlement of South Lebanon, Advertising Houses & Calling for Conquest
2024 Olive Harvest Season Set to Begin Amidst Concerns Israel, Settlers Will Prevent Access
Bonus Reads

U.S. Imposes Sanctions on “Hilltop Youth” Settler Terror Group & Two Individuals

On October 1st the United States announced sanctions on the “Hilltop Youth” settler groups along with two individuals – Eitan Yarden and Avichai Suissa.

The violent, extremist, fundamentalist Hilltop Youth settler group – dubbed the “Jewish ISIS” – operates out of the Yitzhar settlement in the northern region of the West Bank, near Nablus, and there has been no shortage of documentation over the years of their terrorism of Palestinian communities in the region and their involvement in establishing new outposts. The State Department asserted:

“[the Hilltop Youth are] a violent extremist group that has rampaged through Palestinian communities in the West Bank. It has carried out killings, mass arson, and other so-called “price tag” attacks to exact revenge and intimidate Palestinian civilians. Hilltop Youth has repeatedly clashed with the Israeli military when it tries to counter Hilltop Youth’s destructive activities.”

The “Hilltop Youth” are not a pariah group at odds with the Israeli state. Last year , +972 Magazine revealed that the IDF had actually created a specific unit for members of the Hilltop Youth and outpost groups to serve in, a unit which has been involved in violent attacks on Palestinians across the Jordan Valley. Further, the IDF recruits members of the Hilltop Youth also recruited to serve in the IDF’s Netzah Yehuda battalion, which has been accused of gross violations of human rights but which the U.S. has decided not enforce its own law against supplying arms to such problematic groups even after a lengthy investigation.

In 2023, Haaretz revealed that the Jewish National Fund has given $1million to organizations which provide support and services to the “Hilltop Youth,” including a project meant to offer professional training to Hilltop Youth (who are mostly highschool dropouts) living in illegal West Bank outposts.

Prominent U.S. Senators Call for Biden Admin to Sanction Amana Settler Group

In a letter to U.S.Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellin dated September 27th, three prominent Democratic Senators called for more sanctions on extremist settlers, specifically calling for the Amana organization to be sanctioned. Unlike the Hilltop Youth (which the U.S. sanctioned this week), the Amana organization is deeply intertwined with the entire settlement enterprise in both legal and illegal (under Israeli law) ways. Amana is influential in the realm of settler political leadership, very well financed, owns and develops a large portfolio of land in the West Bank for settlements and outposts. Senators wrote:

“Amana has a long and well-documented history of supporting extremist settlers who expropriate Palestinian land and threaten Palestinian landholders, farmers, and shepherds. Amana has played a central role in forming and sustaining hill-top outposts illegal under Israeli law, often by granting loans to bankroll their start. These outposts have since become bases of operation for settler violence against Palestinians, with those resident settlers burning olive groves and homes; stealing livestock; diverting water supplies; blocking roads in and out of villages; and intimidating and threatening villagers from accessing or returning to their land. These outposts contribute to the attacks on and sometimes even killing of Palestinians on their own land or while traveling through the West Bank…We therefore urge you to continue to designate for sanctions those individuals and entities who are undermining peace and stability in the West Bank, to include the Amana organization.”

A U.S. government source told The Times of Israel that Amana has already been considered in past rounds of sanctions. Leaders of Amana have been working hard to dissuade the U.S. from imposing sanctions on the organization, fearing the severe and far-reaching implications U.S. sanctions would have. The Canadian government sanctioned Amana in June, but it is widely understood U.S. sanctions are a standard bearer for the sanctions regimes of EU countries and much more consequential in world banking systems.

Peace Now describes Amana:

“This organization is one of the strongest settler organizations financially, politically, and in terms of its influence on the establishment of settlements and outposts in the Occupied Territories. With assets valued at approximately NIS 600 million, and an annual budget of tens of millions of NIS, Amana is considered the ‘mother and father’ of the illegal outposts, and in recent years also of the illegal agricultural farms that are a major factor in settler violence against Palestinians. Peace Now revealed Amana’s central role in taking over land and in the construction of illegal outposts in our 2017 report ‘Unraveling the Mechanism behind Illegal Outposts’…Amana is also involved in the establishment of farms that have been subject to international sanctions because of violence against Palestinians. For example, Amana was a key partner in the establishment of Meitarim Farm (Yinon Levy’s farm), one of the first to be imposed international sanctions after four communities of hundreds of Palestinians were expelled following violence by settlers who came from the direction of the farm.”

Settlers Push Settlement of South Lebanon, Advertising Houses & Calling for Conquest

The movement to establish Israeli settlements in south Lebanon continues to gain steam in the wake of Israel’s invasion of southern Lebanon and orders to evacuate Lebanese towns in the area.

Middle East Eye reports that the new Israeli settler group – Uri Tzafon – pushing for the Israeli government to settle southern Lebanon has published flyers advertising homes for sale across the Israeli border, in sovereign Lebanese territory. The advertisement reads:

“After the elimination of the Hezbollah leadership…do you also dream of a big house, a view of snowy mountains and a warm community in the land of our ancestors?”

The group has about 3,000 members communicating in a WhatsApp group, offering suggestions to rename Lebanese towns once they are conquered and emptied. Members of the group also sent balloons into Lebanon with threatening messages

A senior rabbi published an op-ed in The Jerusalem Post calling for Israel to conquer southern Lebanon, claiming that it is Israel’s God-given land and saying Lebanese should be expelled from the area.

In a deep dive into Uri Tzafon and the push to settler southern Lebanon, Jewish Currents columnist Maya Rosen writes:

“It is tempting to dismiss Uri Tzafon as fringe. After all, even Israel’s far-right, ultra-nationalist ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir—proponents of war with Hezbollah as well as the military occupation of southern Lebanon—have not yet mentioned civilian settlements. And every policy expert I spoke with agreed that the chance that Israel would actually establish settlements in southern Lebanon is very low. Natasha Roth-Rowland, a scholar of the Israeli far right, explained that there simply isn’t the political will to advance settlements in Lebanon, especially when the Israeli military apparatus is so overstretched. And yet, experts warned me again and again that the movement to settle Lebanon ought not to be discounted lightly. “It’s easy to dismiss, because it’s so far removed from reality,” Makdisi told me. “But I don’t see this as fringe. It’s been in the political imagination forever, and it’s not going to go away.” Roth-Rowland agreed, noting that “there is a fairly well-established track record of even the most fringe parts of the Israeli settler movement becoming not so fringe over a period of decades or even years,” and pointing to the ways that the movement has succeeded in establishing and growing settlements, including, for example, the particularly violent one in the heart of the Palestinian city of Hebron. Many of the unauthorized outposts this movement has created have even been retroactively legalized, pointing to how, in Roth-Rowland’s words, “settlers have made political gains over the last several decades by outflanking the government from the right and forcing concessions.” In this context, experts noted that the mainstreaming of a group like Uri Tzafon could be more feasible than it first appears. “That’s how the settlement movement started,” said Israeli settlement historian Akiva Eldar. “They planted seeds, which grew into trees, which grew into a jungle.”

2024 Olive Harvest Season Set to Begin Amidst Concerns Israel, Settlers Will Prevent Access

The Israeli government is poised to block the beginning of the Palestinian olive harvest season from beginning. OCHA reports that the Palestinian Ministry of Agriculture announced that the annual olive harvest will begin on October 10th, but Israeli authorities – which police Palestinians’ access to their agricultural lands in Area C and in the Seam Zone – have set a later dates for olive harvest, with dates between October 3 and 28 for different governorates across the West Bank. OCHA further reports:

“Initial reports suggest that, unlike 2023, Israeli authorities intend to allow farmers to gain access to their lands behind the Barrier, while access to lands near Israeli settlements remains uncertain.”

The human rights group HaMoked has led legal efforts to compel the Israeli army to permit Palestinians to access their privately owned land in the Seam Zone, the land between the 1967 Green Line and the Israeli-built Separation Barrier), and is currently engaged in litigation with the state on this matter. On October 1st, the State submitted its second response to HaMoked’s petition to provide access to agricultural lands, in which the State said that it intends to open the Seam Zone gates at the end of October or beginning of November, “subject to a situational security assessment.” These dates are well past the start of the olive harvest.

HaMoked further reports:

“the State also made clear that permits will be granted on an individual basis, again subject to security assessments, in order to ‘prevent acts of terrorism.’ In previous years, over 10,000 Palestinians (extended families as well as hired workers) took part in harvesting olives on lands beyond the Separation Barrier. We know from years of experience that it takes weeks, at best, for Palestinians to navigate the Civil Administration’s very cumbersome permit application procedure. In short, the State’s response only strengthens our concern that they intend to allow only a very minimal olive harvest beyond the Barrier.

It is disappointing but not surprising that the State remains unwilling to allow Palestinian farmers to access their own lands on de facto annexed territory. There are many pressing issues facing Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories at this time. All the same, we want to ensure that in this chaotic time, the economic and food security, livelihoods, and centuries-old traditions of Palestinian farmers are not neglected.”

On September 25, the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights called on Israeli authorities to ensure the safety of Palestinian farmers and access to their lands, emphasizing the need to prevent a recurrence of last year’s restrictions and violence that devastated livelihoods.

OCHA writes:

“The annual olive harvest season is a key economic, social and cultural event for Palestinians. Last year’s harvest was particularly challenging due to significant movement restrictions and violence by Israeli forces and Israeli settlers that followed the 7 October attack on Israel. More than 96,000 dunums of olive-cultivated lands across the West Bank remained unharvested due to Israeli restrictions on Palestinian access. Consequently, according to the Food Security Sector, Palestinian farmers suffered an estimated total loss of more than 1,200 metric tons of olive oil in the 2023 season, resulting in a direct financial setback of US$10 million. The impact was particularly harsh in the northern governorates of Tulkarm, Qalqiliya and Nablus.

Access restrictions and widespread settler violence pose high risks and challenges for farmers during the olive harvest season, potentially undermining their livelihoods. The Protection Cluster, led by the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR), in coordination with OCHA, the Food Security Sector and humanitarian partners are preparing to support Palestinian farmers by providing coordinated protective presence in identified hotspots, documenting incidents of violence, and advocating for people’s rights during the season. Moreover, as part of its emergency response mechanism and 48-hour rapid response, the occupied Palestinian territory Humanitarian Fund (oPt HF) has allocated US$750,000 to support two local partners in preparation for the upcoming olive harvest season. These partners are implementing projects aimed at strengthening the resilience of farmers in rural communities. The specific objectives of these projects include the provision of essential tools and equipment, cleaning olive groves to reduce fire risks and prevent losses and improving olive oil storage facilities to ensure higher food quality.”

Bonus Reads

“Raised Stakes on All Fronts” (Geneva Intiative’s Two State Index)
“In the occupied West Bank, Palestinians struggle to access water” (NPR)

Welcome to FMEP’s Weekly Settlement Report, covering everything you need to know about Israeli settlement activity this week.

To subscribe to this report, please click here.

September 27, 2024

High Court Denies Request to Allow Zanuta to be Even Minimally Rehabilitate Village After Settler Destruction
Bimkom Report on Outpost Retroactive Authorization
Israeli Groups Release Report on Annexation
U.S. Congress Votes to Advance Bill that Labels Settlements As Israel, Greenlighting Annexation
Bonus Reads

High Court Denies Request to Allow Zanuta to be Even Minimally Rehabilitate Village After Settler Destruction

On September 18th, the human rights group Haqel filed an urgent appeal to the Israel High Court of Justice on behalf of the residents of Zanuta seeking permission to undertake minor construction in order to make the village inhabitable again. Settlers damaged, destroyed, and ransacked every building in the village after residents fled the village on October 28, 2023 under rampant and unmitigated settler terrorism.

In response, the Court said the residents are not allowed to undertake any building in their village because the entire area is an Israeli-designated archaeological site. When Haqel submitted its appeal it had included an expert legal opinion, including an archaeological expert who informed the Court that there is no archaeological obstacle to allowing the residents to rebuild structures to status quo ante. The opinion – which is signed by five renowned Israeli international law experts – goes on to conclude “we are of the opinion that the actions taken by the authorities towards the residents of the village of Zenuta constitute a forcible transfer of the residents from their village.”

In past hearings, the Court has suggested to the residents of Zanuta that in light of their plight and the prohibition on building in their village, they have the option to move to a new area of land approximately 2.5km north, a patch of land that abuts the borders of Areas A and B – – a convenient location for the State of Israel and its settlers who have moved to annex Area C and clear it of Palestinians.

Breaking the Silence said in a statement:

“The case of Khirbet Zanuta holds enormous symbolic importance in that the success or failure of the residents’ return will set an important precedent for many of the other villages that have been forcibly expelled. We urge stakeholders and people in positions of influence in the international community to act decisively, to apply pressure to the Israeli authorities with regards to allowing for reconstruction of the village (with the pre-October status quo as the relevant reference point for ‘new’ construction) without fear of the authorities demolishing homes or confiscating equipment, as well as law enforcement against the violent settlers who are intent on making it impossible for residents to live there.”

Bimkom Report on Outpost Retroactive Authorization

Bimkom: Planners for Human Rights released a report this past February entitled, “Connection to infrastructure and establishment of public buildings in outposts included in legalization processes.” The report dismantles any notion of legality behind the Israeli governments stated plan to retroactively authorize 70 outposts, as announced in February 2024. Bimkom also surveys its legal, planning, and economic consequences. Bimkom writes:

“It [the report] shows that the planning procedure is nothing more than a cover for de facto regularization of the outposts, since in the vast majority of cases the most basic conditions for advancing regularization are not met.”

Israeli Groups Release Report on Annexation

The Association for Civil Rights in Israel, Breaking the Silence, Ofek, and Yesh Din’ just published an English translation of its July 2024 report, “A Silent Takeover: Changing the Nature of Israeli Control of the West Bank.” It’s summary reads:

“The Government of Israel is methodically implementing a strategy designed to achieve the political vision of applying full Israeli sovereignty to the West Bank, while establishing a reality of Jewish supremacy and forcing the Palestinians living in the Area into to the smallest possible geographical space.

Many of the government’s steps alter the face of the West Bank and the structure of Israeli control there, including:

> Appointing MK Smotrich as the Additional Minister in the Ministry of Defense and transferring broad powers from the Military Commander to MK Smotrich

> Approving immense budgets for expanding the Israeli settlements in the West Bank and improving infrastructure and quality of life there

> Retroactively authorizing Israeli outposts

> Declaring state land and nature preserves

> Denying settler violence and not enforcing the law

> Abusing Palestinian communities, leading to their forced expulsion from their homes.

This current government is stripping off the mask that Israeli governments have insofar worn. For years, it presented Israel as a regime in the Occupied Palestinian Territories that upholds the legal obligations incumbent upon it in the West Bank, and whose administration’s decisions are subject to judicial review by the Israeli Supreme Court. The government’s policy now openly seeks to apply Israeli sovereignty and reinforce Jewish supremacy in the West Bank.”

U.S. Congress Votes to Advance Bill that Labels Settlements As Israel, Greenlighting Annexation

FMEP’s Lara Friedman reports that the U.S. House of Representatives has voted to pass a bill that calls for the U.S. to label any/all products from coming from Israeli settlement as “Made in Israel.” Called the “Anti-BDS Labeling Act” (HR 5179) the bill gives a greenlight to Israel’s de facto annexation of the settlements. It passed by a vote of 231-189, with all Republicans plus 16 Democrats voting in favor.

HR 5179 was introduced by Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-NY), who was visited by a delegation of Israeli advocates headed by Yossi Dagan, the head of a settler regional council and longtime pro-settlement advocate. In press coverage of the meeting, Israel Hayom reports that Tenney and Dagan agreed to collaborate on advancing another bill, which Tenney introduced in March 2024, that would mandate the U.S. government to adopt “Judea and Samaria” as official terminology instead of “West Bank.” That bill, according to Friedman, has seen no action since it was introduced.

Opposing HR5179, Rep. Nadler (D-NY) – posted a video on X saying:

“This bill isn’t about combatting BDS—it’s about attempting to green light Israeli annexation of Area C of the West Bank and undermining the Biden-Harris’ Administration’s delicate negotiations to end the Israel-Hamas war.”

Friedman explains:

“As has always been the case in this battle over how to label the place-of-origin of settlement products, the argument behind HR 5179 boils down to: (1) if people know that a product was produced in a settlement, some will likely choose NOT to buy the product, in a decision that reflects their personal opposition to Israeli occupation/settlements; (2) such an action by an individual consumer, as an expression of their own deeply-held values, is a form of BDS and as such is antisemitic, anti-Israel; (3) the U.S. government, as part of its support for its ally Israel, must implement policies that in effect establish special place-of-origin rules for Israel [i.e., hold Israel to a different standard than the rest of the world] that protect Israel/settlements; (4) These Israel-specific rules-of-origin must ensure that U.S. consumers who might want to make an informed decision with respect to purchasing or not purchasing settlement products are prevented from doing so — in this case, by depriving them of accurate place-of-origin data; and (5) Failure to implement/enact policies that in effect prevent US consumers making informed decisions with respect to whether or not they wish to purchase settlements products is antisemitic, anti-Israel, and a form of BDS.”

Bonus Reads

“The U.S. Must Sanction Israel’s Messianic Ministers – and American Jews Should Welcome It” (Haaretz)
“Movement and Access in the West Bank | September 2024” (OCHA)