How Israel’s West Bank strategy aims to bury Palestinian statehood

Reuters.com ^ | Published Sept. 22, 2025 05:07 AM CDT | Reuters

[E. Pluribus Unum]

While the world’s attention has been on the war in Gaza, the situation in the West Bank may have a longer-term impact on the future of a decades-long conflict that destabilises the entire Middle East.

Western powers Australia, Britain, Canada and Portugal formally recognised a Palestinian state on September 21, a reaction to Israel’s conduct in Gaza. Most of the U.N.’s 193 member states already recognised Palestine and several others now plan to do so, a shift criticized by Israel’s staunchest ally, the United States. Netanyahu says a Palestinian state would be a security threat to Israel.

Palestinian Foreign Minister Varsen Aghabekian Shahin said the countries’ recognition was an irreversible step that brought Palestinian independence and sovereignty closer.

But it will take more than recognition to save the two-state solution.

Israeli settlements have grown in size and number since Israel captured the West Bank in a 1967 war. They stretch deep into the territory with a system of roads and other infrastructure under Israeli control, further slicing up the land.

Palestinians want their capital to be East Jerusalem, which Israel also captured in 1967, then annexed. Israel has declared Jerusalem as its own undivided capital, although only a handful of countries recognise it as such.

In July, the United Nations’ highest court said Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories was illegal and its settlements should be quickly withdrawn, the latest call for an end to the occupation since a U.N. Security Council resolution in 1967.

There is no sign of that happening. By linking up with other Israel-controlled areas, the new settlement block approved by Netanyahu, also known as E1, would go still further, cutting the West Bank in half and severing it from East Jerusalem. Some Israeli ministers are now...

[Navy Patriot]

How Israel’s West Bank strategy aims to bury Palestinian statehood

Rooters Sewer Service sounds concerned, this must be an important article.

[sipow]

No Palestinians, no Palestine, no problem.

[Jan_Sobieski]

There’s no such thing as “Palestinians”. They’re Arabs. Arabs who chose poorly in 1948, siding with the enemies of Israel and God

[UnwashedPeasant]

The US should recognize the “West Bank” as part of Israel proper.

[Rummyfan]

It needs to be buried!

[mfish13]

How many times have the Palestinians turned down their opportunity to have their own state?? I believe the most recent is the Oslo Accords, but there have been others.

[BFW]

GUYS it’s not that hard, carpet bomb gaza until there is nothing left. Then bomb it some more. Bulldoze the rubble in to the river and in to the sea and be done with.

If you want to be nice about it give them 24 hours of notice.

We are all full on in gaza / palestinian fatigue.

This a declared war, fight to WIN for crying out load!

[Uncle Miltie]

Judea is named after the Southern Israelites. Samaria is named after the Northern Israelites.

The “West Bank”’is a modern fiction attempting to erase Jews’ historic rights to their homeland.

[Yulee]

When the British gave two thirds of the Palestinian Mandate (the area set aside by the League of Nations for a Jewish homeland) to a Saudi Prince, that nation Trans Jordan was full of Arabs who lived in the Mandate. They all called themselves Arab.

The only people who called themselves Palestinians were the Jewish residents of that mandate. So and Arab state, Trans Jordan, was created full of Arabs. The remaining area lying west of the Jordan River belongs rightfully to the Jewish settlers.

The resulting wars and terrorism has to be charged to the Arabs (Muslims), who refuse to recognize Israel as a Jewish state, and have invaded and attacked multiple times since the Mandate’s establishment.

Muslims view not only Israel as belonging to them, but any and all areas ever conquered in the name of Islam, at any time in history. This includes Spain, Greece, large areas of Eastern Europe, and India.

[Lurker]

I’m okay with this.

L

[Ancesthntr]

The very name “Jew“ is derived from the territory on which the Jews lived in ancient times - namely, Judea. Likewise, the name “Arab” is derived from the territory from which the Arab people originated, which is on the Arabian peninsula. That there are Arabs living in Judea, elsewhere in the Middle East, and throughout northern Africa, is a testament to the imperialistic aggression of a seventh century Arab warlord and his successors during the seventh and eighth centuries. The imperialists need to leave, or at least live peacefully with those living there. The indigenous people, the Jews, have a right to the return of their ancient homeland. Jews have lived in Judea and elsewhere throughout what is now modern Israel, for the last 3400 years, since 40 years after the Exodus. Case closed.

[x]

The Arab language and Muslim religion spread. The area wasn’t emptied and massively repopulated by Arabs. The Palestinian Arab population shares common ancestors with the Jews and other pre-Muslim inhabitants of the region. Jewish populations owe much of their ancestry to people who were living in the diaspora even before the wars with the Romans as well as to converts.

[Texas Fossil]

Bump

[Texas Fossil]

“chose poorly”

Indeed.

[Widget Jr]

I have always been amused at how a degree in journalism, or any degree using the words "international" or "studies" in its title, makes a person an expert in a field they will never directly work and use excessive words to explain what is simple.

In response to the October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas on Israel, Israel is committed to destroying Hamas and occupying the West Bank to prevent future attacks, making a Palestinian state impossible for the foreseeable future.

That one sentence summarizes what it took a dozen Reuters staffers and editors, their art department, and a web programmer to write up.