Questions about Jewish settlements in the West Bank...?How do the settlements get started? How is the land acquired? Who owned it prior to the Jews settling it? Is the land taken by force from the previous owners or is it purchased? Thank you. |
Questions about Jewish settlements in the West Bank...?How do the settlements get started? How is the land acquired? Who owned it prior to the Jews settling it? Is the land taken by force from the previous owners or is it purchased? Thank you. |
"The West Bank" is the name given to the Israel´s parts called Judea and Samaria after the Six Days War.
The story is as follows.
In 1947,by the Resolution of the UN number 181,there had to be created two states in Palestine:one Jewish on where Israel is now-and another arab,on the parts of Judea and Samaria and in Gaza.
Jews accepted the terms,but arabs did not ,and in Mya of 1948 five arab countries-Egypt, Jordan, Syria,Iraq and Lebanon,supported by the Arab Legion and by the arabs who lived in Palestine(they are called "palestinian arabs",or simply palestinians") attacked Israel.
Israel beat them up,but did not occupy those parts of Judea and Samaria which were alloted by the UN for arab state.Instead,these parts were immediately occupied by Jordan,which seized Judea and Samaria,and Egypt,which seized Gaza.
They maintained the occupation until 1967.And in 1967 they started another war against Israel.Israel again beat them up,but this time decided that enough is enough-and occupied Judea,Samaria and Gaza,together with the Sinai,offering to the arab states that if they want to get the land back-they have to sign the peace treaty with Israel.Arab states responded with the famous "three nos"."No" to the negotiations with Israel,"No" to the recognition of Israel,"No" to peace with Israel.
Since then ,these territories are called in the Western media "The West bank",which means the lands laying on the Western bank of the river Jordan(the East Bank of this river is the territory of Jordan)
But after the 1973 Yom Kippur War,when Israel was on the verge of entering Cairo,the most far-sighted oliticians among Arabs decided that it´s better to have with Israel a bad peace than a good fight, and Egypt and then Jordan signed with Israel the peace treaties.
Israel returned Sinai to Egypt,and wanted to return Gaza ,too,together with all its population of palestinian arabs.But Egypt categorically refused,saying blantly that if Israel insists on passing Gaza under the Egyptian jurisdiction, Egypt wil not sign the Peace treaty.
10 years later,Jordan signed the peace treaty with Israel,but REFUSED FROM ANY CLAIM ON THE WEST BANK,also saying that if Israel insists that Jordan establish its jurisdiction over the West Bank or part of it,Jordan will not sign the peace treaty.
After getting this "gift",Israel had to develop this area.WIth time,the small settlements became large cities,like Kiriat Gat or Kiriat Arba.Now,almost 300000 Israelis live there.
Judea and Samaria were taken in the result of the defensive on the part of Israel war.Occupation typically refers to foreign control of an area that was under the previous sovereignty of another state. In the case of the West Bank, there was no legitimate sovereign because the territory had been illegally occupied by Jordan from 1948 to 1967. Only two countries — Britain and Pakistan — recognized Jordan's action. The Palestinians never demanded an end to Jordanian occupation and the creation of a Palestinian state there. So,technically,it´s the territory of Israel.But Israel would agree to give it to the palestinian arabs ALL,except 4% which are vitally important for Israel´s defene and security.Instead,Israel offers to give to the arabs MORE land in the Gaza Strip(this received n the medial the term "the land swap"),but the arabs demand that Israel pass to them ALL the 100% of Judea and Samaria,expelling all the Israelis who live there.
Most of the land Israeli settlements are built on was purchased from the legal owners,like it was with Kiriat Gat.If there were no legal owners for this or that part of Judea and Samaria,Israel considered this part as Israel´s ownership.