The ICJ Is Right: The Israeli Settlements Are an Illegal Affront

Peace Now published a report on July 4 stating that the Israeli government approved the “advancement of 5,295 housing units in dozens of settlements throughout the West Bank. The building plans include the expansion of settlements deep within the West Bank and the legalization of three outposts, in addition to five outposts approved by the Israeli Cabinet in early July.”

Many of these settlements began with what are known as outposts, always illegal, though at this point the difference between “legal” and “illegal” housing by settlers is largely meaningless. An outpost begins simply. “You really just need a hilltop and a shack,” Ofran explained. “And two sheep.” The sheep are important because they graze on Palestinian farmland, disrupting, and eventually stealing the fields.

But the settlers also use modern techniques. The skies over the hills, she explains, are filled with drones. “They use it to find Palestinian shepherds, Palestinian illegal construction, farmers and in many cases, they use it to push out the Palestinian herds,” she said. “If you have a drone that goes over the sheep, they get crazy and run away.” And the Israeli government funds some of this. “They give them cars, they give them drones, cameras, electricity, and they fund roads sometimes,” Ofran said. “Every day we see a new road being paved somewhere.” When we drove through the territories, we saw new roads being paved, piles of stones dug up in preparation for other new roads, and paths of stones overturned, waiting for the cement trucks to arrive.