Settlement blocs

Last updated

Settlement blocs (sometimes referred to as consensus settlements) is term used to refer to Israeli settlements and the territory around them considered candidates to be retained by Israel in any peace agreement. The exact extent of these blocs has never been defined or agreed upon.

Contents

Origin and development of the term

Usage is found in peace negotiations at Camp David in July 2000 and subsequently in The Clinton Parameters. [1]

According to a 2001 Foundation for Middle East Peace report, Israel's Final Status Map at Taba, is both "conceptually and territorially reminiscent of" the 1995 Beilin–Abu Mazen agreement that established a Palestinian willingness to consider trading settlement blocs for equivalent Israeli land. [2]

Palestinian leaders have accepted the principle of swaps although neither they nor the United States have ever agreed on a delineation of the blocs. [3]

2000 and 2001

Starting with Camp David, Palestinians agreed (while differing on the size and location of swaps) Israel could annex some settlement blocs (including Ariel in the north, some parts of the Latrun salient, and the Etzion bloc near Bethlehem) as well as Israeli/Jewish settlements established in East Jerusalem since 1967 such as Gilo, Neve Ya'acov, and Pisgat Ze'ev. [4] At Camp David, Israel offered to establish a sovereign Palestinian state encompassing the Gaza Strip, 92 percent of the West Bank (91 percent of the West Bank plus the equivalent of 1 percent of the West Bank in land from pre-1967 Israel), and some parts of Arab East Jerusalem. [4] : 5  The Palestinians used a total area of 5,854 square kilometers whereas Israel excluded the area known as No Man's Land (50 km2 near Latrun), post-1967 East Jerusalem (71 km2), and the territorial waters of the Dead Sea (195 km2) giving 5,538 km2. So 91% of 5,538 km2 of the West Bank translated into 86% from the Palestinian standpoint. [4] : 16, 17 

2003

The Geneva initiative includes land swaps of 2.2 percent, with the settlement blocs of Gush Etzion (excluding Efrat), Ma’aleh Adumim (excluding "E1"), Modi’in Ilit and Givat Ze’ev becoming part of Israel.

2008

As part of the Annapolis plan, Olmert proposed annexing all the major settlement blocs (about 5.9 percent of the West Bank territory), in exchange for 5.2 percent of Israeli territory whereas Abbas proposed giving Israel 1.6 percent of the West Bank in exchange for 2 percent of Israeli territory. Abbas did not include Ma’aleh Adumim or Givat Ze’ev but did agree to Modi’in Ilit and Gush Etzion (excluding Efrat). [5] Alan Dowty makes use of the Palestine Papers to refer to a "Summary of Olmert's Package Offer to Abu Mazen" of August 31, 2008, [6] based on information provided by Palestinian spokesperson Saeb Erekat, to describe an offer whereby Israel would annex 6.8% (calculated excluding No Man's Land and East Jerusalem and including Gush Etzion (with Efrat), Ma'ale Adumim, Givat Ze'ev and Ariel as well all settlements in East Jerusalem) in exchange for 5.5% of Israeli territory. [7]

2015

Meeting with EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, Netanyahu voices willingness for the first time since taking office to discuss size of settlement blocs and their borders with Palestinians. [8] In a report using data through 2015, Haaretz, without specifying how it had defined settlement blocs, gave the total number of settlers in blocs in the West Bank (excluding East Jerusalem) as 214,459 (56% of 382,916) located in 19 (of 125) settlements (excluding outposts). [9]

2017

The "Greater Jerusalem" law was introduced in 2016 and intended to include (but not annex) five settlement blocks (Ma’aleh Adumim, Gush Etzion, Efrat, Beitar Illit and Givat Ze’ev, 19 settlements), about 150,000 settlers, within Jerusalem's municipal jurisdiction. International pressure, mainly from the United States, resulted in the draft bill being withdrawn from consideration in October, 2017. [10]

2019

Speaking at a public conference on December 8, 2019, Netanyahu said:

I think the time has come to extend Israeli sovereignty over the Jordan Valley, and also arrange the status of all the settlements in Judea and Samaria, those inside the settlement blocks, and those that are not in the blocs. They will be part of the state of Israel. [11]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Israeli settlement</span> Israeli communities built on land occupied in the 1967 Six-Day War

Israeli settlements, also called Israeli colonies, are the civilian communities built by Israel throughout the Israeli-occupied territories. They are populated by Israeli citizens, almost exclusively of Jewish identity or ethnicity, and were first established after Israel's victory in the Six-Day War of June 1967. The international community considers Israeli settlements to be illegal under international law, but Israel disputes this. The expansion of settlements often involves the confiscation of Palestinian land and resources, leading to displacement of Palestinian communities and creating a source of tension and conflict. Settlements are often protected by the Israeli military and are frequently flashpoints for violence against Palestinians. Further, the presence of settlements and Jewish-only bypass roads creates a fragmented Palestinian territory, seriously hindering economic development and freedom of movement for Palestinians.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ma'ale Adumim</span> Israeli settlement in the West Bank

Ma'ale Adumim is an urban Israeli settlement organized as a city council in the West Bank, seven kilometers east of Jerusalem. Ma'ale Adumim achieved city status in 1991. In 2015, its population was 37,555. It is located along Highway 1, which connects it to Jerusalem and the Tel Aviv Metropolitan Area. The international community considers Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal under international law, but the Israeli government disputes this.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geneva Initiative</span> Proposal for a two-state solution in the Israel-Palestine peace process

The Geneva Initiative, also known as the Geneva Accord, is a draft Permanent Status Agreement to end the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, based on previous official negotiations, international resolutions, the Quartet Roadmap, the Clinton Parameters, and the Arab Peace Initiative. The document was finished on 12 October 2003.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gush Etzion</span> Israeli settlement cluster in the West Bank

Gush Etzion is a cluster of Israeli settlements located in the Judaean Mountains, directly south of Jerusalem and Bethlehem in the West Bank. The core group includes four Jewish agricultural villages that were founded in 1943–1947, and destroyed by the Arab Legion before the outbreak of the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, in the Kfar Etzion massacre. The area was left outside of Israel with the 1949 armistice lines. These settlements were rebuilt after the 1967 Six-Day War, along with new communities that have expanded the area of the Etzion Bloc. As of 2011, Gush Etzion consisted of 22 settlements with a population of 70,000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Efrat (Israeli settlement)</span> Israeli settlement in the West Bank

Efrat, or previously officially Efrata, is an Israeli settlement in the West Bank, established in 1983 in the Judean Mountains. Efrat is located 12 kilometers (7.5 mi) south of Jerusalem, between Bethlehem and Hebron, 6.5 km (4 mi) east of the Green Line, at the Palestinian side of the West Bank wall. The settlement stands at an altitude of up to 960 metres above sea level and covers about 6,000 dunam. The international community considers Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal under international law, but the Israeli government disputes this.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Giv'at Ze'ev</span> Israeli settlement in the West Bank

Giv'at Ze'ev is an urban Israeli settlement in the West Bank, five kilometers northwest of Jerusalem. The settlement was founded in 1977 on the site of the abandoned Jordanian military camp, adjacent to the site of ancient Gibeon. While it lies within the borders of the Matte Binyamin Regional Council, it is a separate municipal entity. In 2021 it had a population of 20,034.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ma'ale Rehav'am</span> Place in Judea and Samaria Area

Ma'ale Rehav'am is an Israeli outpost in the West Bank, located south of Bethlehem and northeast of Hebron in the northeastern Judean Mountains on Road 3698 in the eastern Etzion bloc. Its mother community, the settlement of Nokdim is administrated by the Gush Etzion Regional Council, which lists Ma'ale Rehav'am as a separate "community" on its official website.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gevaot</span> Israeli settlement in West Bank

Gevaot is an Israeli outpost located in the West Bank, in the westernmost area of the Gush Etzion settlement bloc. It is named for the hills from which Balaam spoke, according to Numbers 23:9, just like the neighbouring settlement Rosh Tzurim.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elazar (Israeli settlement)</span> Israeli settlement in the West Bank

Elazar is an Israeli settlement in the West Bank, 18 kilometers south of Jerusalem in the Gush Etzion cluster of settlements. A community settlement, it had a population of 2,561 in 2021. It is administered by the Gush Etzion Regional Council. The international community considers Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal under international law, although the Israeli government disputes this.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kedar (Israeli settlement)</span> Israeli settlement in the West Bank

Kedar is a rural Israeli settlement in the West Bank. Located to the south of Ma'ale Adumim and organised as a community settlement, it falls under the jurisdiction of Gush Etzion Regional Council. In 2021 it had a population of 1,617.

Migdal Oz is an Israeli settlement and income-sharing community kibbutz in the West Bank. Located in the historic Etzion bloc 7.4 km from the Green Line and west of the Israeli West Bank barrier, it falls under the jurisdiction of Gush Etzion Regional Council. It neighbors the communities of Kfar Etzion, Alon Shevut, Elazar and Efrat. In 2021 it had a population of 567.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alon Shvut</span> Israeli settlement in the West Bank

Alon Shvut is an Israeli settlement in the West Bank, established in June 1970 over lands confiscated from the nearby Palestinian town of Khirbet Beit Zakariyyah. It is part of the Etzion bloc of the West Bank, administered by the Gush Etzion Regional Council, and neighbors the Israeli settlements of Kfar Etzion, Rosh Tzurim, Neve Daniel, Elazar, Bat Ayin, Migdal Oz, and Efrat. In 2021, its population was 3,061.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">E1 (West Bank)</span>

E1 – also called the E1 area, E1 zone or E1 corridor – is an area of the West Bank within the municipal boundary of the Israeli settlement of Ma'ale Adumim. It is located adjacent to and northeast of East Jerusalem and to the west of Ma'ale Adumim. It covers an area of 12 square kilometres (4.6 sq mi), which is home to a number of Bedouin communities including the village of Khan al-Ahmar and their livestock as well as a large Israeli police headquarters. The Palestinian tent site of Bab al Shams, which was established for several days in early 2013, also lay within this area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Israeli settlement timeline</span>

This is a timeline of the development of and controversy over Israeli settlements. As of January 30, 2022 the West Bank settlement population was 490,493 and the settler population in the Golan Heights was almost 27,000 and in East Jerusalem the settler population was around 220,000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gush Etzion Junction</span>

Gush Etzion Junction("Tzomet HaGush") also known as Gush Junction is a 120-dunam business, commercial and tourism center in the southern West Bank, which serves as the entry point to the Gush Etzion bloc of settlements. It is administered by the Gush Etzion Regional Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palestine Papers</span> Leaked collection of confidential documents about the Israeli–Palestinian peace process

The Palestine Papers is a collection of confidential documents about the Israeli–Palestinian peace process leaked to Al Jazeera, which published them between 23 and 26 January 2011. Nearly 1,700 documents from the office of the main PLO negotiator, Saeb Erekat, and his team have been published, dating from 1999 to 2010.

Amana ('Covenant') is an Israeli settlement movement formed by Gush Emunim in 1976. Its primary goal was "developing communities in Judea, Samaria, the Golan Heights, the Galilee, the Negev and Gush Katif." The initial communities it developed were Ofra, Mevo Modi'in, Kedumim, and Ma'aleh Adumim. Settlements developed in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, are illegal under international law.

Ari Fuld, an American-Israeli who lived in the Israeli settlement of Efrat, was stabbed to death by a Palestinian at the Gush Etzion Junction in the West Bank on 16 September 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palestinian enclaves</span> Fragmentation of the West Bank over time

The Palestinian enclaves are areas in the West Bank designated for Palestinians under a variety of unsuccessful U.S. and Israeli-led proposals to end the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. The enclaves are often compared to the nominally self-governing black homelands created in apartheid-era South Africa, and are thus referred to as bantustans. They have been referred to figuratively as the Palestinian archipelago, among other terms. The de facto status in 2024 is that Israel controls all area outside these enclaves.

References

  1. ↑ Martin Blecher (15 October 2018). Israeli Settlements: Land Politics beyond the Geneva Convention. Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 132–. ISBN   978-0-7618-7065-4.
  2. ↑ Report on Israeli Settlement in the Occupied Territories, https://fmep.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/11.2.pdf 2001 p=4
  3. ↑ "Netanyahu and the Settlements". New York Times. March 12, 2015. Retrieved December 3, 2019.
  4. 1 2 3 Pressman, Jeremy (2003). "Visions in Collision: What Happened at Camp David and Taba?". International Security. 28 (2): 20. doi:10.1162/016228803322761955. JSTOR   4137467. S2CID   57564925.
  5. ↑ "Explained: How big an obstacle are Israeli settlements to peace?". Haaretz. February 14, 2017. Retrieved December 9, 2019.
  6. ↑ http://www.ajtransparency.com/files/4736.pdf [ bare URL PDF ]
  7. ↑ Alan Dowty (22 February 2019). The Israel/Palestine Reader. Wiley. pp. 185–. ISBN   978-1-5095-2737-3.
  8. ↑ "Netanyahu Proposes Talks on Borders of Settlement Blocs". Haaretz. May 26, 2015. Retrieved December 9, 2019.
  9. ↑ "How Many Settlers Really Live in the West Bank? Haaretz Investigation Reveals". Haaretz. June 15, 2017. Retrieved December 13, 2019.
  10. ↑ "Israel's Greater Jerusalem Bill". Jurist. March 5, 2018. Retrieved December 9, 2019.
  11. ↑ "Netanyahu insists Jordan Valley annexation discussed with Pompeo". Jerusalem Post. December 8, 2019. Retrieved December 8, 2019.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.