Op-Ed: A view on illegal Israeli Outposts

The extreme right-wing Israeli occupation government continues the policy of plundering and confiscating Palestinian lands and expanding and legitimizing settlement therein at an accelerated rate, and it takes advantage of the silence of the international community, especially the United States of America, which does not express any serious opposition to this policy, and suffices only to announce the issuance of verbal statements rejecting settlement without exerting any pressure Seriously to stop this policy.

Last Friday, 4/28/2023, the newspaper "Israel Hayom" revealed a "semi-secret" meeting held at the beginning of last week, with the participation of ministers and leaders of the settlers, a plan to legalize the outposts based on the "cabinet's decision, according to which all random outposts will be approved." ".

According to the newspaper, it is expected that the Israeli government will start procedures for a plan to legalize 70 outposts in the occupied West Bank, in the coming weeks, in addition to the nine outposts that were approved by the cabinet for political and security affairs (the cabinet) last February. And that the plan includes an unprecedented number of random outposts, which are described as "youth settlement", which will be legalized based on "the Cabinet's decision according to which all youth settlement will be approved."

The newspaper quoted Yishai Merling, director general of the settlement department that operates through the World Zionist Organization and the Ministry of Settlement, as saying about the outposts that were not part of the plan to legalize dozens of outposts, that "the government will decide to approve them later."

Merling added during the "semi-secret" meeting that "it is difficult to notice much field work in light of the huge uproar about (judicial) reform. We have a distinguished government that is pushing unprecedented settlement projects in Judea, Samaria, the Negev and Galilee."

The list of outposts that will begin legalization procedures will be published within four to six weeks. According to the newspaper, immediately after that, "the outposts will be able to begin to connect to the official vital infrastructure." The head of the Religious Zionist Party, Minister of Finance and Minister Responsible for Settlements in the Ministry of Defense, Bezalel Smotrich, said during the meeting that the government intends to push as many outposts as possible. which will be legalized.” He added, “Our goal is to impose youth settlement as a fact that has been settled. The Settlement Directorate works day and night to develop settlements, whether in construction or infrastructure. We are working to spread infrastructure - electricity and streets, and together we will continue to settle youth settlements. The state intends to develop settlements and bring another half a million residents to Judea and Samaria.

Sources who participated in the meeting said that they are aware that there will be opposition to the plan to legalize dozens of settlement outposts, and these sources claimed that "the (Israeli) pledge during the Aqaba Conference not to build in Judea and Samaria has nothing to do with reality, because the settlement decision was taken by the government before the conference." The settlements are like an expansion of existing settlements. Everyone was involved in this event, and the Americans know about this decision, according to what the newspaper quoted him. According to Merling, there are outposts on "state lands", that is, the lands seized by the occupation, "and when a budget is approved The state (during the next month) will get the infrastructure - water, electricity, sanitation and public buildings. We are on the ground and extending power lines."

The newspaper added that work teams from various ministries are working to increase the efficiency of legalizing settlement outposts as soon as possible, especially with regard to announcing the confiscation of lands in the West Bank, especially since many of these random outposts were established on private Palestinian land or unconfiscated land. The newspaper added, "The government is looking forward to settling the vast majority of youth settlements, which threaten them with dozens, within two or three years."

It is clear that the plan to legitimize settlement outposts in the occupied Palestinian territories, which was revealed by the recent secret Israeli ministerial meeting, will begin to be implemented within the next few weeks, which will practically mean the confiscation of more Palestinian lands, and the expansion and legitimization of settlement therein, in light of the silence of the international community and its inability to Stopping the settlement crime, which contradicts international law and international legitimacy resolutions. This confirms that we are facing a comprehensive confrontation to stop this plan, which requires the mobilization and mobilization of all Palestinian national and popular capabilities and energies.