Using cover from a new American president, Israel is aggressively pushing forward with its occupation of the West Bank. Last week, Tel Aviv announced its first new settlement in the West Bank (near Nablus) in 25 years. The settlement will house settlers from a nearby illegal outpost that was demolished with great fanfare by the Israeli government. Tel Aviv also went after the boycott, divestment and sanction (BDS) movement at the United Nations last week.
It is tempting to view the new settlement as a turning point in the decades-long occupation of Palestine. While it is significant that Tel Aviv appears confident enough to thumb its nose at international law and the will of the international community to announce its new settlement, the settlement itself is little more than a smokescreen. The fact is that Israel has been steadily entrenching its occupation and matrix of control in the West Bank since it took over the land in 1967.
Employing misleading terminology such as “natural growth”, Israel has poured state resources in the expansion of its footprint in the West Bank. As such, Israel’s decision to build its “first new settlement in 25 years” is little more than a misnomer and a sign of its new confidence with Donald Trump in the White House.
Israel has sent a clear signal to the international community regarding its pressure points. Using the United Nations to go after the BDS movement and passing legislation at home that bars visitors who support a boycott shows that Tel Aviv is deeply concerned about the boycott gathering steam and threatening its occupation.
Therefore – through its actions – Israel has revealed its weakness. Non-violent resistance in the form of boycotts is a danger to the health and longevity of Israel’s occupation. Since the West Bank occupation will mark its 50th anniversary in June, such an implicit admission is welcome. Recent developments show that Tel Aviv (and Washington) will continue a unilateral policy of settlement expansion and the international community does have the tools to fight it.
