Israel’s West Bank settlement plan could ‘bury’ the prospect of a Palestinian state. Here’s why

Jerusalem — Israel said Thursday it was moving forward with controversial plans to build thousands of new housing units in the occupied West Bank, a development far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said would “permanently bury the idea of a Palestinian state.”

To the delight of the Israeli settler movement, but horror of Palestinians and settlement watchdogs, Smotrich confirmed that the government was reviving a long-stalled project to the east of Jerusalem. It is expected to be approved next week.

He presented the move as Israel’s response to the recent wave of countries announcing their intention to recognize a Palestinian state. The government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has categorically rejected any prospect of Palestinian statehood, a position reinforced in a resolution passed by the Israeli Knesset last year.

What are the settlements and why are they so sensitive?

Israeli settlements in the West Bank are Jewish villages, towns, and cities built on land the United Nations and the international community have designated for a Palestinian state.

Smotrich announced the pending approval of 3,401 new housing units on Thursday in a press conference held on the site of the planned construction.

“They will talk about a Palestinian dream, and we will continue to build a Jewish reality,” Smotrich said. “This reality is what will permanently bury the idea of a Palestinian state, because there is nothing to recognize and no one to recognize.”