Tel Aviv’s dangerous project to displace Palestinians in the West Bank.
According to Al Jazeera, the West Bank has been a special focus for the Zionist regime since its occupation in 1967, and the regime has drawn up numerous plans to dominate the entire West Bank over the past decades. Currently, the far-right cabinet of the Zionist regime, headed by Benjamin Netanyahu, is planning to fully annex the West Bank to the occupied territories of the regime and maximize the gains of settlement construction in Palestinian lands; an area with a population of 3 million Palestinians and which has always been the source of resistance against the occupation.
The colonial situation of the West Bank
Historically, the colonial policy of the Zionist regime has always been accompanied by the imposition and consolidation of the realities of occupation and has made these realities the basis for its next step; whether it is the continuation of the development and expansion of the colonial project, or negotiations with the Palestinian parties on any file. In other words, in the past decades, before any negotiations with the Palestinian parties, the Zionists first imposed their desired realities on them and then put the Palestinians in a situation where they were forced to accept Tel Aviv’s demands; as happened with the Oslo Accords. Since 1967 and the expansion of the Zionist occupation of Palestinian lands, the Zionist regime has paid no attention to the inherent rights of the indigenous inhabitants of this land and international laws and has expanded the settlement project in various areas, especially the West Bank.
The Zionist project to change the demographic and geographical situation of the West Bank
These Zionist actions have caused the major Palestinian population centers and villages in the West Bank to be separated from each other and have created many security restrictions against them; to the point that in some villages, only their residents can travel and residents of other villages cannot go to these villages. Therefore, the geography of the West Bank has become scattered pieces that are under complete siege by the Zionist army, and the Zionist soldiers who have surrounded the West Bank are always on alert.
On the other hand, the Zionists prevent Palestinians from accessing natural resources and agricultural lands and construction on classified lands in Area C, and any Palestinian building that is built there will be demolished by the occupiers; without any compensation being given to the Palestinians. Also, while according to the Oslo Agreement, the administrative powers of Area B of the West Bank were transferred to the Palestinian Authority; but the Zionist regime also controls this area and practically takes away the freedom of action from the Palestinian Authority and demolishes any Palestinian building it wants in this area.
West Bank Economy in the Grip of the Occupiers
Security measures and Zionist control over Area C of the West Bank lead to the loss of any ability to build a unified, self-sufficient Palestinian society. The economic dominance of the Zionist regime over the West Bank is another major challenge for the Palestinians, which destroys the Palestinians’ production capacity and their benefit from natural resources and agricultural products, mainly olives.
In addition, the PA’s foreign trade transactions in the West Bank are also dependent on the Zionist regime, and this organization must pay the Zionists a commission in every transaction. In some cases, the occupying regime confiscates the PA’s imported or exported goods. Customs clearance funds are also constantly confiscated by the Zionists, and these factors have destroyed the Palestinian economy in the West Bank, even the PA depends on the Zionist regime to pay its employees. The Zionist regime believes that by imposing these restrictions on the West Bank, in addition to benefiting from the natural resources and capacities available in the region, it can force its indigenous residents to emigrate and implement its settlement projects more easily.
The Zionist regime treats the Palestinian residents of the West Bank as second-class citizens and does not grant them any political or social rights. This regime facilitates the voluntary immigration of Palestinians from the West Bank and forces them to obtain Israeli “citizenship” and join the regime’s army to benefit from basic rights. Anyone who refuses will be significantly repressed.
On the other hand, the Zionist settlers, who are militias affiliated with the regime’s army, continuously harass Palestinians in the West Bank around the clock, and the Israeli army and police forces constantly raid Palestinian areas in the West Bank. The policy of gradual displacement of Palestinians from the West Bank was strengthened by the granting of the Israeli Ministry of Finance to Bezalel Smotrich, one of the most extreme Zionists and staunch supporters of the project of displacement of Palestinians and annexation of the West Bank.