Israel's West Bank Annexation: New Policies and Settler Strategy

Accelerated Land Seizure in West Bank

• 💡 The process of stealing land in the occupied West Bank has seen a massive acceleration recently.
• 🔑 This acceleration is attributed to new cabinet decisions and has broken into some mainstream media coverage.

Erosion of Palestinian Authority & Oslo Accords

• 🧠 Bezalel Smotrich, Israel's finance minister, executed a bureaucratic coup in early 2023, taking control of West Bank governance and removing guardrails for settlers.
• ⚠️ New cabinet decisions have effectively dismantled the Oslo Accords, allowing the Israeli military to enter and control municipal activities in Palestinian Area A and B under various pretenses.
• 🚨 Israel can now use issues like "environmental hazards" or "water theft" as pretenses to seize control in areas previously under Palestinian administrative authority.

Facilitating Land Purchases and Displacement

• 💰 Policies now make it easier for Israelis to buy Palestinian land directly in the West Bank.
• 📈 This is exacerbated by Israel suffocating the Palestinian economy, causing soaring unemployment and poverty, making Palestinians more likely to sell.
• 🚫 The Israeli military's historical veto power over settler land purchases has been removed, obligating the military to protect settlers wherever they acquire land.

Settler-Driven Policy and Violence

• 🔥 Settlers are dictating policy by establishing illegal outposts and engaging in violence, knowing the government will eventually formalize their actions.
• 🤝 Settler attacks and government policies work together to pressure Palestinians, framing forced displacement as "voluntary migration."
• 🕌 Israel has also seized administrative control of sacred sites like Ibrahim Mosque and Rachel's Tomb, expanding settlements into these areas.

Smotrich's Blueprint for Palestinian Future

• 📜 Smotrich's 2017 blueprint outlines three options for Palestinians: live as colonial subjects, leave with financial incentives, or face conflict "to the death."
• 🎯 This strategy aims to remove Palestinians from the West Bank and Gaza, converging with actions seen in Gaza to displace populations under humanitarian pretexts.