Quiet Conquest: Settling the West Bank and Pursuing Annexation

A Methodical Strategy

In the shadow of Gaza’s news headlines, Israel’s far-right is executing a strategic campaign in the West Bank, led by the ultra-nationalist finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich. His belief in a divine claim over biblical lands has driven him to authorize the construction of illegal settlements, marking an ongoing, methodical expansion. According to The Week, this silent campaign reveals a stark reality: the slow erasure of possibilities for a Palestinian state.

Settler Violence and Expansion

The year has seen a staggering increase in settler violence, with the UN recording 757 attacks on Palestinians. These acts of aggression, coupled with strategic land takeovers, illustrate the silent assault led by armed militias from Jewish settlements. Such moves press the existential question of Palestinian livelihoods and autonomy as settlements continue to grow, threatening the demographic and political landscape of the West Bank.

A Controversial Revival

Smotrich has rekindled the contentious plan to build thousands of apartments in the E1 area—a move long frozen due to international pressure, especially from the United States. This proposed development could fatally fracture the contiguity of a future Palestinian state by severing the West Bank from East Jerusalem, the prospective Palestinian capital.

Political Endorsements and Implications

Annexation, once considered a distant possibility, is now gaining traction within both Israeli political circles and among American conservatives. July’s Knesset vote signified growing support for Israeli sovereignty over the territory, echoing significant international political endorsements. U.S. political figures, among them Republicans, have shown alignment with Israel’s far-right policies, underscoring a widening coalition supporting annexation.

Stealth Annexation

The unfolding annexation is seen not through grand declarations but via mundane bureaucratic moves—accelerating licenses, infrastructure development, and administrative wording adjustments. This quiet transfer of governance power from military to civilian Israeli ministries signifies a de facto annexation where Palestinians are systematically sidelined.

Conclusion

The silent build-up of settlements and methodical annexation signifies a crucial turning point, pushing the prospect of a two-state solution further from reality. As Israel continues its expansion, the international community watches a geopolitical shift that may rewrite boundaries and political futures in the region.