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For the ten days I travelled throughout what many refer to as the ‘Holy Land’ (Israel/Palestine) – what I witnessed was anything but holy. It was clear that a full-scale strategy of claiming the occupied and contested territories previously home to the Palestinians was dependent upon the ongoing construction of settlements by the Israeli government.
Everywhere I went I saw large tracts of land that had been or were being developed for the future occupation of Israeli citizens, many of whom are not even presently living within the country to even occupy such properties. These settlements do not consist of a house here or there, a building or supermarket spread throughout, but rather a dense population of tall – think condominiums – buildings, mostly sitting empty, dominating the landscape on which they were built.
One strategy also evident was that these settlements are most always built upon the highest hill or mountain in the area, often surrounding smaller Palestinian enclaves below – effectively giving the impression of the impenetrable presence of what Palestinians see as ‘the occupier.’ Living in the shadow of such colonizers is intimidating and adds to a certain sense of despair and hopelessness. After all, if a territory is ‘disputed,’ and yet the occupying nation is building on it, is it really in dispute? Practically speaking, it’s seen as irretrievable. Lost. Gone.
So where do the people come from who are to live in such settlements?
For a long time the Israeli government has recruited Jewish citizens from all around the world to come and live in these settlements. In exchange, these citizens receive large tax breaks, low-priced housing, new schools for their children and many extra amenities to make such a move plausible. And in actuality, many of these Jewish citizens are unaware of the ‘politics’ of such settlements, how they are harming the Palestinians living in close proximity as well as dampening the opportunity for peace in the land, not to mention the extent to which they are merely pawns for the Israeli government.
It is the conviction of many that the Israeli government knows that eventually it will be forced to the bargaining table and that its position will be significantly strengthened if it can show how many of their citizens are living in these settlements. It is also acknowledged that some of these settlements will never be occupied and are even being constructed with the intent of some day destroying them. Why would such a plan exist? Effectively they become a bargaining chip. They enable the Israeli government to say, “Look what we’re willing to give up – we’ll tear down X number of settlements if we can ‘only’ keep the following ones. ” And it is that latter statement that Palestinians most fear.
For years the settler movement has had its sights set on increasing Israeli control of inside the Old City of Jerusalem. Even the Damascus Gate, the famous entrance to the Muslim Quarter, is framed with settlements including a house owned by former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.
All combined, these settlements highly prejudice any future negotiations for agreement to share the Land. And once again, while the Palestinians are powerless economically and militarily to respond, as long as the world is content to turn a blind eye toward the unethical nature of such settlements, the hope for peace decreases daily.
2 comments to “Israel Pt. 6: The Strategy of Settlements”
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all of the human race are Gods special people—-not just israel.
Thank you for sharing this information, about which, incidentally, few of us here in the U.S. know anything .