Israel’s Renaming of West Bank is Step Toward Annexation: Palestine

In a statement, the ministry condemned the approval by the Knesset’s Committee for Legislation of the draft law. The term “Judea and Samaria” is a reference to the biblical term for today’s West Bank.

The ministry described the bill as “a dangerous escalation of Israel’s illegal unilateral actions, paving the way for the full annexation of the West Bank, the imposition of Israeli law by force, and a systematic undermining of the possibility of establishing a Palestinian state and resolving the conflict through peaceful political means.”

"This legislation, along with other occupation measures, does not create any legitimate right for Israel over the land of the State of Palestine. It is null and void, illegal, and a blatant violation of international law and U.N. resolutions, posing a direct threat to regional and global security and stability," the statement added.

On Jan. 29, the Knesset passed a preliminary reading of a bill allowing illegal Israeli settlers to register themselves as legal landowners in the occupied West Bank. 

Palestinians and Israeli left-wing organizations argue that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government is accelerating efforts to impose Israeli law on the West Bank in preparation for full annexation.

Under current regulations, Israeli settlers are prohibited from directly purchasing land and can only acquire property through companies registered with the Israeli Civil Administration.

According to Israeli newspaper Haaretz, the proposed legislation seeks to remove these restrictions and formally repeal a Jordanian-era statute that prohibits the leasing or sale of real estate to individuals who are not Jordanian, Palestinian or of Arab descent.

According to Israeli rights group Peace Now, the bill will allow settlers to become “landlords” in the occupied West Bank, opening the door to “questionable deals and forgeries.”

“This is yet another annexation moves initiated by the messianic right,” Peace Now said in a statement.

All Israeli settlements in the West Bank are illegal under international law and there are currently over 700,000 settlers living illegally across the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.

The occupied West Bank has also witnessed a dangerous surge of settler violence as the Israeli military has deployed more armored vehicles, machinery and bulldozers to several areas in the territory as part of its weeks-long operation.

Israeli forces shoot dead three Palestinians, including a pregnant woman, in the West Bank as the number of people displaced by Israel’s offensive increased to over 35,000 people, the officials said on Monday.

Source: HDN