The Annexation Playbook: De-development as a Precursor to Land Acquisition
THE ACTORS: The Israeli government, under its current leadership, is pursuing policies in both the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. Key figures include Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet and various settler organizations actively lobbying for increased territorial control. The Palestinian victims in Gaza remain largely nameless in reports, a detail that facilitates the dehumanization
essential for continued military action. THE FUNDING: The broader context of these actions is supported by a multi-faceted funding network. The Israeli government receives approximately $3.8 billion annually in military aid from the United States (CRS, 2023), significant portions of which are unrestricted and can be used for operations in Gaza or to maintain the occupation infrastructure in the
West Bank. Specifically, U.S. foreign assistance has been used to purchase F-16 fighter jets and munitions deployed in Gaza (GAO, 2011). Separately, private donors and organizations, often tax-exempt in the U.S., provide millions to support illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank, effectively subsidizing the annexation process. For example, in 2020 alone, over 50 US-based charities sent more
than $60 million to these settlements (AP, 2021). THE INCENTIVES: The incentive for the Israeli government is the long-term consolidation of control over all territories between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea. In Gaza, this involves maintaining a state of perpetual crisis and de-development, rendering the strip uninhabitable and its population vulnerable, thus reducing future