Despite harsh criticism from the United States, Israel is pushing ahead with settlement construction in the West Bank.

The Civil Administration for the Occupied Palestinian Territory cleared the way for 1,300 homes to be built on Wednesday;

Another 1,800 apartments have already been approved, a spokesman said.

This means that the eight-party coalition under Prime Minister Naftali Bennett is continuing the construction of settlements in violation of international law.

Christian Meier

Editor in politics.

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It was only the evening before that the American government had made it unusually clear that it rejected this step.

State Department spokesman Ned Price said the United States was "deeply concerned about Israel's government plan."

They “firmly” oppose the expansion of settlements in the West Bank, as this runs counter to efforts to de-escalate the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians and reduces the prospect of a two-state solution.

Price announced that Washington would raise the issue with Israeli officials.

France also expressed criticism.

Deep in Palestinian territory

There was no such condemnation of settlement construction under Joe Biden's direct predecessor as President, Donald Trump. Rather, he had confirmed the Israeli government, which was then headed by Benjamin Netanyahu, in its view that the settlements were legal. Since the conquest of the West Bank and East Jerusalem in the Six Day War in 1967, Israel has been building settlements in the areas according to plan. Around 600,000 people now live in these. In addition to ultra-orthodox and nationally religious Jews, there are also many Israelis among the residents, for whom the ideological reason for the “return” of the Jewish people to “Judea and Samaria” is less important than the comparatively low cost of living in the settlements near Israeli territory.

Most of the apartments that have now been approved are not near the “Green Line”, but deep in Palestinian territory.

This circumstance is particularly annoying to the American government.

Israeli media reported that the incumbent American ambassador to Israel had conveyed a message to Bennett's foreign policy advisor;

the conversation was "very difficult", it said, citing an employee.

Conflicts within the Israeli government

The Washington government also opposes Israeli plans to retrospectively approve so-called "outposts". These are construction projects started by settlers without authorization, which are illegal even under Israeli law. State Department spokesman Price called this approach "unacceptable". It has also led to conflicts within the Israeli government, because the coalition includes right-wing and centrist parties as well as left-wing, settlement-critical parties. You have announced resistance.

For irritations in Israel, meanwhile, Washington is considering reopening the American consulate in Jerusalem. Under Trump, the American embassy was moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in 2019. The consulate in the city was then closed and integrated into the embassy. Now the Biden government is apparently considering reopening the consulate in West Jerusalem - and possibly also the one in the Palestinian eastern part of the city.

The United States had a consulate there until 2010, which was important for contact with the Palestinians.

This would send a strong signal in favor of the Palestinian claims to part of the city.

The Israeli media recently reported that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken intends to hold talks with the Israeli side on this issue in the near future.