Another Israeli Land Grab

Israel, once again, is proving it’s the problem in the Middle East, not the solution. As it has done for decades, the country is grabbing at more land than originally given when it was ambiguously granted nation status in 1948 by the League of Nations.

This time it’s in the form of a contentious land regulation process being executed in a large part of the occupied West Bank. The resumption of "settlement of land title" means that when Israel begins the land registration process for a given area, anyone with a claim to the land must submit documents proving ownership. Pardon me, but isn’t this akin to the California legislature going into Rhode Island and insisting the latter state’s landowners show proof of home ownership? I would hope Rhode Island would defend itself against such an illegal encroachment.

Israeli aggression will likely end up in the taking of land for which Palestinians can’t “prove” ownership. An anti-settlement group, Peace Now, said the process likely amounts to a "mega land grab" from Palestinians.

"This move is very dramatic and allows the state to gain control of almost all of Area C," said Hagit Ofran, the director of Peace Now's Settlement Watch program. Area C refers to the 60% of the West Bank that is under full Israeli military control. The international community overwhelmingly considers Israeli settlement construction in these areas to be illegal, as well as an obstacle to peace.

Over 300,000 Palestinians are estimated to live in Area C, with many more in surrounding communities dependent on its agricultural and grazing lands, including plots for which families retain land deeds or tax records dating back decades. Hmm? Why would any country want to take over agricultural and grazing lands? Rhetorical question - since the obvious answer is to control the food supply.

Under the decision, Israeli authorities will announce certain areas to undergo registration, forcing anyone who has a claim to the land to prove their ownership. Ofran said the process for proving ownership can be "draconian" and is rarely transparent.

"Palestinians will be sent to prove ownership in a way that they will never be able to do… and this way Israel might take over 83% of the Area C, which is about half of the West Bank."

I’ve been pointing out Israeli aggression for years. Israel continues to expand construction, legalize outposts, and make significant bureaucratic changes to its policies in the territory. I’ve claimed that Israel’s out-of-proportion retaliation to October 6 always had yet another land grab as its end goal. Time is only proving me correct.

Previous U.S. administrations have sharply condemned an expansion of Israeli activity, yet… none of them have done anything about it. Why? Simple. Because American politicians don’t care about Muslim nations. They only see the radical sect. It’s like condemning all Caucasians based on the racist Klu Klux Klan. Maybe all those Muslim countries should rename themselves “Ukraine”. We have no problem sanctioning that country’s land-grabbing attackers.

Source used: NPR