Israel's Annexation Strategy: Creating 'Six Little Gazas' in the West Bank

Quiet Annexation of the West Bank

• 📌 The West Bank has been under Israeli military occupation since 1967, legally requiring adherence to international law that prohibits the occupying state from establishing permanent settlements.
• 💡 In early 2023, extremist settler Bezalel Smotrich, as Finance Minister, established a 'shadow government' within the Defense Ministry, effectively transferring governing responsibilities to settlers and bypassing international law considerations.
• 🎯 This new administration, handpicked by Smotrich, now oversees decisions on settlement expansion and demolishing Palestinian villages, prioritizing settler interests over legal adherence.

Historical Context and Settler Ideology

• 📜 Smotrich, previously identified by Israelis as a settler involved in a terrorist attack, now holds significant power as Finance Minister and de facto governor of the West Bank.
• 🧠 The settler ideology views the West Bank (Judea and Samaria) as the cradle of ancient Jewish civilization, justifying their claim over the land based on biblical history, contrasting with Gaza's historical association with enemies.
• 🌍 The argument for annexation is framed as a fundamentalist project, not solely for security, aiming to integrate the West Bank into Israel by applying Israeli civil law and undermining Palestinian Authority.

E1 Settlement and the End of a Two-State Solution

• 🚧 The E1 settlement project, a long-standing 'red line' for US presidents, aims to connect settlements in East Jerusalem with those in the West Bank, effectively cutting the West Bank in half and severing East Jerusalem from it.
• 🧱 This strategic move, now greenlit, makes the physical realization of a contiguous Palestinian state impossible, undermining the two-state solution narrative.
• 🗺️ The E1 settlement transforms the West Bank from a patchwork of Palestinian territories into three impenetrable sections, further fragmenting any potential for Palestinian self-determination.

Proposed Annexation Options and 'Six Little Gazas'

• ⚖️ Facing international pressure to recognize Palestine, Israel is considering annexation of the West Bank, complicated by the 'citizenship problem' of inheriting millions of Palestinians.
• 📈 The strategy of 'maximize land, minimize population' is driving annexation plans, aiming to acquire territory without absorbing large Palestinian populations.
• 🏞️ One leading option is annexing the Jordan Valley, which comprises 30% of the West Bank, securing fertile land and fully encircling remaining Palestinian territories.
• 🏘️ Another prominent plan, proposed by Smotrich, involves annexing the entire West Bank except for six major Palestinian cities (Jenin, Tulkarm, Jericho, Ramallah, Hebron, Nablus), creating isolated enclaves described as 'six little Gazas.'
• 💥 These enclaves would be subjected to bombardment, ethnic cleansing, and blockade tactics, mirroring the situation in Gaza, with recent Israeli military actions already decimating cities like Jenin and Tulkarm.