The Annexation Playbook: Perpetual Motion Towards a Greater Israel
THE CLAIM: Routine Alarm Over Perennial Policy The New Arab reports on the Palestinian Authority's urgent calls for regional and international meetings following renewed Israeli intentions to annex parts of the West Bank. PA Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh is quoted, signaling outrage and demanding intervention from the Arab League, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and the UN Security
Council. This is presented as a response to a looming, imminent threat. THE EVIDENCE: Annexation by Increments, Not Impulses The public record, however, reveals a consistent, incremental strategy rather than a sudden policy shift. Israeli governments, regardless of their stated political stripes, have systematically expanded settlements and infrastructure in the West Bank since its occupation in
1967. While a full, formal annexation has been discussed for decades – notably by former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in 2020 – the reality on the ground has been 'creeping annexation.' This refers to the continuous expansion of settlements, the designation of vast swathes of land as 'state land' for Israeli use, and the construction of bypass roads that effectively carve up Palestinian
territory. Data from B'Tselem (2023) shows that Israel controls over 60% of the West Bank (Area C) through various mechanisms, including military firing zones, nature reserves, and settlement blocs. The recent calls from the PA are less about a novel threat and more about the latest manifestation of an ongoing program. THE CONTRADICTIONS: Empty Threats and Empowered Expansion The contradiction