Approval to Construct 1,000 Units for Palestinians is a 'Correct Step', Says Mayor, And Here's Why

The head of the Efrat municipality located in Area C of the West Bank says the decision to approve the construction of homes is a sign of Israeli sovereignty over the area, noting that it will also put an end to illegal building in the disputed region.

In Israel, a decision by Defence Minister Benny Gantz to approve the construction of 1,000 new units for Palestinians in Area C of the West Bank is already making waves.

A number of conservative politicians have already slammed the move, with some calling it "a present for the Palestinians" that aims to keep the current government in power. Others have since hailed it "a disaster", adding that this will allow the Palestinians to take over the area.

Step in the Right Direction

But Oded Revivi, the mayor of Efrat, an Israeli settlement located in Area C of the West Bank, says Gantz's decision was "a positive and correct step".

Revivi says his backing of the decision stems from two main factors. The first is the belief that Israel has the right to extend its sovereignty over Area C in the region, which according to the Oslo Accords II of 1995 is supposed to be under full Israeli jurisdiction. 

The second is the desire to make sure that the Palestinians, who make up some 300,000 of the area's 700,000 people, do not continue to build there illegally, thus gradually establishing control of the area. The latter constitutes 60 percent of the entire West Bank.

"If someone wants to control Area C, if they want to prevent illegal construction, then they must also explain where building is allowed and where it is possible, even if it is Palestinian construction. Otherwise, they will build everywhere at every opportunity, because they receive no answers".

Regavim, an NGO dedicated to the protection of Israel's lands and resources, has registered a growing number of illegal Palestinian settlements over the years. Between 2013 and 2017, for example, they established more than 100,000 terraces in Area C. They also seized control over 79,000 dunams or 19,521 acres of land.

In comparison, the territory's Jewish population, around 400,000 people, occupies 56,000 dunams or 13,837 acres of land.

The granting of 1,000 permits to the Palestinians is supposed to change this reality.

"The PA leadership has already come out and said that they are against those permits. They understand that by granting them, Israel exercises its sovereignty over the area, and this is something that they would like to avoid".

According to the Oslo Accords, Area C, considered pivotal for the region's economy, was supposed to be gradually transferred to the Palestinians but that never happened. Israel put it down to the lack of the progress by the Palestinians, who have engaged in terror activity, shattering any trust in them. 

The Palestinians claim Israel never had any intention of going through with the transfer and found reasons not to let them establish their own independent state.

Political Failure?

If Gantz's current step becomes policy, this might be the end of illegal construction in the area, but Revivi is doubtful it will warm relations between Israelis and Palestinians. 

He's also unsure about how it will impact the political future of Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and his coalition government.

The ratings of the hawkish Bennett have seen a drop since his decision to forge a coalition with the liberal Yesh Atid chief Yair Lapid.

In June, a poll showed that more than 52 percent of voters for Bennett's Yamina said his move breached the trust of his supporters. 

Fifty-two percent also said that they would not have voted for Yamina had they known the path he would pursue.

"Right now, there is a lot of frustration and disappointment with the current government. Many residents of Efrat voted for Bennett and they never anticipated that he would sit in a coalition that has such parties as the left-wing Meretz or the Arab Raam".