Israel Plans Largest Land Grab: Shocked, US Politicians Call for 'Restraint'
Israel's military administration intends to declare a major Roman-era site in the West Bank as 'state land,' a procedural move in the theatre of annexation. For some context, this isn't a new act; Netanyahu’s governments have consistently expanded settlements and confiscated Palestinian land since 1996, often citing 'security' or 'archaeological' pretexts. The US State Department will likely issue
a sternly worded disapproval, perhaps after approving another $14 billion in aid. (It’s called 'tough love'.) We might ask, how many 'deeply concerning developments' are required before actual consequences materialize? The UN calls it 'illegal under international law,' while the US calls it 'complicated.' Curiously, the complicated part never seems to involve withholding the very aid that sustains
the occupation machinery. The historical Roman presence is apparently less significant than the contemporary Israeli one.