Extension of Israeli Parliament Session on Settlement Expansion Until Netanyahu's Return

Despite the U.S. government's request for Israel to exercise restraint regarding the expansion of settlements in the occupied West Bank, the Israeli Parliament has extended its session on Monday to make a final decision on this matter. Reports from Israel indicate that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is currently in Britain, is returning to Israel to participate in the parliamentary session, and the members of the Israeli Parliament have extended the Monday session until his return and the final vote on this issue. Initially, it was unclear whether the Israeli Parliament would make its final decision on Monday, as Mr. Netanyahu had stated that he intended to coordinate with U.S. President Donald Trump before finalizing this decision. However, the Israeli Prime Minister told reporters during his trip to London on Monday that necessary coordination with the U.S. government had been made, and consequently, the final vote in Parliament would take place. Netanyahu had previously promised that this legislative bill would be approved the week before, but its approval was apparently delayed for technical reasons. Critics say that if this bill is approved, the Israeli government could seize more than 800 hectares of Palestinian land, which is considered Palestinian territory even according to Israeli laws. This move is seen as part of a broader long-term plan to annex parts of the West Bank to Israeli territory, supported by the extremist factions of Netanyahu's right-wing cabinet, including the 'Israel, Our Home' party. However, this bill may also face challenges if approved in the Israeli Parliament. In this context, Avigdor Lieberman, Israel's Defense Minister, predicted last week that the Israeli Supreme Court would definitely annul such a bill. Last week, the Israeli Supreme Court ruled that a Jewish settlement named Amona was built on private Palestinian land and consequently issued an evacuation order for it. AFP reminds that according to international law, all Jewish settlements are illegal since they are built on occupied Palestinian land. Supporters of this bill argue that such a plan will guarantee that some residents of Jewish settlements who have lived there for years will never be expelled. The long saga of the evacuation of the Jewish settlement Amona, which was covered by the media, is one of the main motivations for drafting and approving the new bill. The evacuation and demolition of buildings in this settlement began on Monday. If approved, the new bill will allow the Israeli government to legally confiscate Palestinian private lands. These lands are those where settlement builders have constructed without knowledge of their private ownership or with government permission. In return, the Israeli government compensates Palestinian owners or allocates them other lands. A civil organization opposing settlement expansion called 'Now Peace' states that under this bill, the construction of 53 more settlements in these lands will become 'legal.' Thus, they will become permanent and will be allowed to expand their construction territory. According to this organization, the construction of about 3,600 homes will become 'legal.' AFP notes that the Israeli government is certainly waiting for Donald Trump's reaction, but the new U.S. administration has a softer stance on the expansion of Jewish settlements compared to the Obama administration. Since Donald Trump's rise to power, the Israeli government has announced the construction of six thousand new homes for Jews in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Both areas are a very important part of a potential independent Palestinian state that may emerge in the future.