BBC:

Israel's security cabinet has approved the recognition of 19 new settlements in the occupied West Bank as the government continues its settlement expansion push. Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a settler who proposed the move alongside Defence Minister Israel Katz, said the decision was about blocking the establishment of a Palestinian state.

These are not new settlements these are Yeshuvim who were evacuated by Israel during the 2005 disengagement.

I am reading that 2 of the settlements - Ganim and Kadim were established and dismantled in the past. The other 17 ( Kida, Esh Kodesh, Givat Harel, Mishol, Kochav Hashachar-North, Nof Gilad, Shalem, Har Bezek, Reihanit, Rosh Ha’ayin-East, Tammun, P’nei Kedem, Yatziv, Ya’ar El Keren, Allenby, Yitav-West, Nahal Doron ) were either never there before or were unauthorized outposts now being legalized for the first time.

As I understand it - Within Israeli law, some settlements are “legal” if authorized by the Israeli government, and others (outposts) are “illegal” under Israeli law until formalized. So the 17 outposts were illegal under Israeli law, but Israel is now making them legal, is my understanding. By legal I mean Israel considers them legal while the UN (a terrorist organization in the eyes of Israeli's) says they are not legal (but cant do anything about it).

Regardless of the legality, the aim is simple - to colonize the West Bank to such an extent so as to ensure that there will never be a 2-state solution (this is working).

This post was edited by ferdia on Dec 22 2025 08:58am

Norm has been a beacon of light during these dark times

You read wrong, all were existed before, Rosh Ha’ayin is not a settlement its full scale city within the green line.

Rosh Ha’ayin (East, if this helps you) is a development beyond the green line and should not be confused with the city. I mean, its your country. As for the rest -

as an example i am reading: Esh Kodesh didn’t “exist before” in any legal sense. It began as an unauthorized outpost in the early 2000s, acknowledged as illegal under Israeli law for years, and only recently legalized retroactively. That’s exactly the category I was referring to.

Under Israeli law, there is a distinction between:

settlements that were formally authorized by government decision at the time of establishment, and
outposts that were established without such authorization and were therefore illegal under Israeli law until retroactively legalized.

ULTIMATELY Defence Minister Israel Katz, said the decision was about blocking the establishment of a Palestinian state. The fact that Israel is stealing land should not be news to anyone.

This post was edited by ferdia on Dec 22 2025 04:28pm

I know exactly what is Rosh Ha’ayin East and I know it is not a new settlement it is a city extension carefully planned.
Esh Kodesh existed physically and socially long before formal authorization.
Unauthorized does not mean illegal land theft.
Political opposition does not replace legal analysis.

Making a complex legal and historical situation to “Israel is stealing land” is not analysis.

Have a nice day.

This post was edited by Many_Names on Dec 24 2025 02:17am

what I am saying is, and what i said before is, Israel should simply remove everyone from the west bank in one go, kick them all to gaza for all i care, it would be far more humane then what they are currently doing.

I hope they will kick them to yemen or Libya