Israel Expands Settlements, US Approves More Aid, World Still 'Concerned'
Israel's far-right finance minister Bezalel Smotrich confirmed new West Bank settlements were approved, explicitly stating the goal is to prevent a Palestinian state. Simultaneously, the article notes three Palestinians were killed in Gaza. This isn't a new development; Netanyahu's governments have greenlit settlements pushing the two-state solution further out of reach for decades, often just
after significant US aid packages. For example, in 2012, 2014, and 2016, settlement expansions followed significant US security assistance, turning 'peace' into a euphemism for dispossession. One might wonder if the US, which provides billions in military aid to Israel, genuinely objects to settlement expansion, or if congressional 'concern' is simply part of the performance. When will the
international community understand that condemning settlement expansion while funding the expanding power is, to put it mildly, counterproductive?