In already evacuated settlement
Israeli settlers return to Khomesh
05/29/2023 11:33 am
In 2005, the Israeli parliament decided to evacuate four settlements in the West Bank. In March of this year, however, this decision will be reversed. Now a synagogue is solemnly inaugurated in Khomesch. Criticism comes from several directions.
Israeli settlers have rededicated a religious school in a settlement in the northern West Bank that was evacuated in 2005. Monday’s controversial move followed a decision by Israel’s parliament in March. At that time, the Knesset decided to reverse the 2005 withdrawal from four settlements in the northern West Bank. The Foreign Office had sharply criticized the decision at the time. It represents “a dangerous step towards possible renewed settlement activities”. This threatens to further aggravate the already tense security situation in the West Bank. Criticism also came from the USA.
Israel’s far-right Police Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called the inauguration of the synagogue at a new location in Khomesh on Monday a “historic moment”. The Israeli army broadcaster, on the other hand, reported that security circles had sharply criticized the move. Supporters of an independent Palestinian state have warned that the resettlement of the four towns will make a political solution to the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians more difficult. It constitutes another obstacle to the future creation of a contiguous territory for the Palestinians.
Settlement expansion will continue
Israel conquered the West Bank and East Jerusalem during the 1967 Six Day War. Almost 600,000 Israelis live there today in more than 200 settlements. In 2016, the UN Security Council labeled these settlements a violation of international law and called on Israel to halt all settlement activities. The Palestinians want to set up their own states in the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem.
The right-wing conservative Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly announced that large parts of the West Bank will be annexed. However, in exchange for a rapprochement agreement with the United Arab Emirates in 2020, he had suspended these plans. However, Israel continued to expand settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem thereafter.