|  | Source: Amnesty International |
| The West Bank and Gaza are the two Palestinian territories. The West Bank is the largest. It has a land of over two thousand square miles. It hosts 2.7 million Palestinians and over 670 thousand Israeli settlers. It is known as Judea and Samaria in Israel. Palestinians consider the West Bank the heart of their envisioned state with the Gaza strip. At the same time, right-wing Israelis see it as their ancestral homeland. | Historical background | After WWI, the area was under a British mandate. During this period, two national movements grew stronger. Zionism aimed to create a Jewish homeland. Arab Palestinian nationalism aimed for an independent state. Tensions grew and the UK referred the issue to the UN. | In 1947, the Partition Plan for Palestine was adopted by the UN. It aimed to divide the land. There would be a Jewish state (55%) and an Arab state (45%). Plus, an internationally administered Jerusalem. At the time, Jews made up 33% of the population and the Arabs 67%. Palestinian leaders and many Arab states rejected the plan. Violence broke out after the vote. In 1948, the independence of Israel was declared by Jewish leaders. Right after, several Arab states invaded. This led to the Arab Israeli war. | In the wake war, the area was occupied and annexed by Jordan. Jordan ruled it until the Six-day war in 1967. In six days, Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza, Sinai, and the Golan Heights. Since then, Israel has held control over the West Bank. Israel began building settlements. Palestinian movements grew stronger and uprising and clashes erupted (Intifada). | | | "Forget AI" Says Reagan's #1 Futurist |
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| | The Oslo Accords | The West Bank's current political map was shaped by the Oslo process in the 90's. The Oslo accords split the area into 3 regional levels of Palestinian sovereignty. In Area A (18%), the PNA has control over civil rule and internal security in main cities. In Area B (22%), the PNA has control over civil matters. But Israel keeps security control. Its forces are allowed to enter at will. In Area C, Israel has full control. This latter comprises 60% of the West Bank. Under the accords, Area C was to be mostly transferred to the PNA by 1997. But that never happened. | Settlements | Settlements are Jewish communities built in the West Bank. The first settlement was built in the late 60's. They began to proliferate in the 80's. Their growth accelerated in recent year. Last year, settlements expanded at their fastest rate since monitoring began. In Israel, many leaders see these settlements as a right tied to history and faith. But also, they also argue that they increase security by: | - Creating buffer zones | - Maintaining high-ground control | - Preventing hostile forces from approaching Israel's coastal plain | But they actually create resentment and fuel cycles of violence. | The settlements have an impact on Palestinian territory and daily life. Their land is scattered into disconnected areas. This makes the creation of a Palestinian state more difficult. Checkpoints and roadblocks restrict movements. This is the case even in areas controlled by Palestinians. It limits access to jobs, farmland, and services. The settlements also need Israel's security presence. This leads to tensions. | These settlements are illegal under international law. The International Court of Justice ruled twice that occupation of the West Bank was unlawful. But no measures were taken. Global critics persist but with limited enforcement power. | Israel's recent plan | New steps have been approved by Israel's security cabinet for the West Bank. These plans pave the way for more settlements there. They aim to increase Israel's control over the land in terms of property law. These measures extend Israel's control over areas where the PNA have power. They also would allow Jewish Israelis to buy land directly. Up to now, settlers could only buy from registered companies on land controlled by Israel. Plus, the reform increases Israel's control over two key religious sites (Rachel's Tomb and the Cave of the Patriarchs). | This move was condemned by many Arab states, the UK, anti-occupation groups and of course Palestinians. The UN and EU reminded that this move is illegal under international law. They also said it was undermining the process for the two-state solution. The U.S. are still opposed to Israel annexing the West Bank. | The West Bank's geopolitics today is shaped by a hard reality. Israel holds decisive control in most of the territory, while Palestinians have limited self-rule in islands of land. The two-state idea remains the main global plan. But the map on the ground keeps moving away from a clean split. This move might undermine the peace plan for Gaza and trigger a response from Hamas and its allies. | Decoding geopolitics isn't a job. It's survival. | Joy |
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