Israel Builds ‘Nature Reserves’ in West Bank
Israel intends to expand existing nature reserves in the Israeli-controlled West Bank. (Good Free Photos)
Israeli Minister of Defense Naftali Bennett announced the creation of seven nature reserves in the occupied West Bank on January 8. Bennett, who is also the leader of the far-right New Right party, claimed that the territory was Israeli property. He stated that his goal was to annex the territory “within a short time,” according to Al Jazeera.
The proposed nature reserves would take up more than 5,000 acres of land currently owned by Palestinian citizens, according to the International Middle East Center. The Palestinian Authority (PA) condemned the move, saying that Bennett was “erecting a new colonial umbrella to fight the Palestinian presence in those areas,” according to Al Jazeera. The Jerusalem Post wrote that the PA may also “approach the ICC [International Criminal Court] to inform it of the legal dangers of Bennett’s declaration as part and parcel of the settlements file that will bring Bennett and others like him in front of the ICC.”
Members of the UN Security Council have joined the PA in denouncing the annexation, according to a UN press release. Representatives from Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, Japan, the European Union, and more questioned the legality of Israel’s activities in the West Bank, specifically referencing the new nature reserves as part of a greater scheme to exert influence over Palestine.
In response, Bennet said that the territory “belonged to Israel,” according to Asharq al-Awsat. This is the first time a decision of this magnitude has been made since the 1993 Oslo 1 Accord, according to a statement from the Defense Ministry. As Bennett is up for reelection on March 2, this move may increase support for his right-wing base.
Hagit Ofran, a member of Peace Now, a non-governmental organization working towards a two- state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, explained another significant aspect of the latest occupation of Palestinian territory to the Associated Free Press (AFP). She said that due to Israeli laws, if the land was labeled as a nature reserve, Palestinians would be “forbidden from cultivating land,” thus making it easier to “evict Palestinians.”
This latest development in the Palestine-Israeli conflict has the potential to carry serious implications. With both major candidates for Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu and Benjamin Gantz, promising that they will annex the West Bank, Palestine faces an uncertain future. As Gantz seeks to garner support from Netanyahu’s right-wing base, both candidates will likely continue to try to appeal to people sympathetic to illegal settlements. Although Gantz may be more inclined than Netanyahu to negotiate with the Palestinians, given that he is more of a centrist candidate than Netanyahu, the pro- settlement rhetoric that the two will likely espouse until the election may further deteriorate relations between Israel and Palestine.
Furthermore, this latest promise by Bennett comes only two months after the United States reversed its policy on settlements, with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo declaring the settlements legal. Although many international human rights organizations and the United Nations believe that occupations such as the one proposed by Bennett are a violation of international law, Israel has shown little incentive to change its policy if the United States, its greatest ally, is indifferent.