The West Bank has been occupied by Israel since the 1967 Middle East war, but decades of difficult on-off talks between Israel and the Palestinians - both of whom assert rights there - have left its final status unresolved.
Is West Bank and Palestine the same?
The term "Palestinian territories" has been used to describe the territories delimited by the 1949 Armistice borders within the former British Mandate for Palestine, that were occupied by Israel since the Six-Day War of 1967, namely the West Bank (including East Jerusalem) and the Gaza Strip.The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has referred to the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, as ...
Did Israel ever offer the west bank back?
West Bank did not and does belong to Israel to offer it to anyone. If you are ever offered stolen property, I hope you are too as smart as Jordan and not accept it. , I have family that lives in Israel. Why doesn't Israel offer citizenship to all the Palestinians living in the West Bank and Gaza?
Why does Israel want the West Bank?
While Palestine has staked claim to both territories — West Bank and Gaza Strip — Israel’s objective has been to keep expanding Jewish settlements in these regions. There are approximately 2 million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and 3 million in the West Bank, according to the Palestinian Authority’s Population Registry.
Does Israel control West Bank?
The territory of Areas A and B is not contiguous, and consists of 227 separate areas under varying degrees of PA control. Some 60 percent of the West Bank remains under full Israeli military and civil control. However, even in the rest of the West Bank, the Israeli military conducts raids at will.
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Is the West Bank separate from Israel?
In June 1967, the West Bank and East Jerusalem were captured by Israel as a result of the Six-Day War. With the exception of East Jerusalem and the former Israeli-Jordanian no man's land, the West Bank was not annexed by Israel; it remained under Israeli military control until 1982.
Does Israel claim the West Bank?
Israel has cited several reasons for retaining the West Bank within its ambit: a claim based on the notion of historic rights to this as a homeland as affirmed in the Balfour Declaration of 1917; security grounds, both internal and external; and the deep symbolic value for Jews of the area occupied.
Is Gaza and West Bank part of Israel?
The West Bank and the Gaza Strip are territories that have been under Israel's occupation since 1967. A look at the issues surrounding the two regions.
Is West Bank Israel or Jordan?
From 1950 until it was occupied by Israel in the Six-Day War of 1967, the West Bank was governed as part of Jordan, though it was divided from the Jordanian population of the East Bank by the Jordan River.
Who controls West Bank?
IsraelPresently, most of the West Bank is administered by Israel though 42% of it is under varying degrees of autonomous rule by the Fatah-run Palestinian Authority. The Gaza Strip is currently under the control of Hamas.
What country does the West Bank belong to?
country of IsraelThe West Bank is another area of land located within the country of Israel, but it is much larger than the Gaza Strip at 2,173 sq miles. The West Bank stretches across the eastern border of Israel along the west banks of the Jordan River and most of the Dead Sea, thus how it received its name.
Is Israel occupying Palestine land?
BACKGROUND: Palestinian territory – encompassing the Gaza Strip and West Bank, including East Jerusalem – has been illegally occupied by Israel since 1967.
Which country owns Gaza?
IsraelIsrael controls the Gaza Strip's northern borders, as well as its territorial waters and airspace. Egypt controls Gaza Strip's southern border, under an agreement between it and Israel.
Is Jerusalem in Israel or Palestine?
Jerusalem is a city that straddles the border between Israel and the West Bank. It's home to some of the holiest sites in both Judaism and Islam, and so both Israel and Palestine want to make it their capital.
Is Jerusalem in Israel or West Bank?
City site. Jerusalem stands on hills at an elevation of 2,575 feet (785 metres). The modern unified city is the largest municipality in Israel or the West Bank and is the heart of an urban agglomeration that spills outside the city limits into adjacent areas of both jurisdictions.
Did Israel annex the West Bank?
East Jerusalem was the first part of the West Bank to be annexed; it was de facto annexed following its occupation by Israel in 1967, and de jure annexed following the 1980 Jerusalem Law.
What is Israel claim to the land?
Evangelical Zionists variously claim that Israel has title to the land by divine right, or by a theological, historical and moral grounding of attachment to the land unique to Jews (James Parkes).
What is the history of the West Bank?
In UN resolution of 1947 it was offered to the Palestinian Arabs as a part of their future state but they refused to have it. In 1948 it was occupied by Jordan and 1950 Jordanians declared it to be part of their state. UN in a special resolution in 1952 rejected Jordan claim. In 1964 PLO (which represented Palestinian Arabs) in their “National Charter” once again stated that Palestinian Arabs have no claims on the West bank. ( The Original Palestine National Charter (1964) (jewishvirtuallibrary.org) Article 24). But in 1968, after Israel occupied the area, they reversed their decision and now demanded West Bank to be part of their future “Palestine”. In 1993 Jordan dropped its claims on the West Bank. Then “Oslo accords” ( Oslo Accords - Wikipedia) between Israel and PLO divided West Bank in 3 areas of the governance “until the final agreement”, The “final agreement” has not being reached yet. Therefore the area is still “disputed”.
What are the three areas of the West Bank?
Sort of. It depends on what you mean. The West Bank is divided into three areas: Area A, Area B, and Area C. These areas correspond to those controlled by Israel, controlled by the Palestinian Authority, or jointly controlled. From a practical standpoint, Israel has a great deal of control over this area. However, the exact ownership is something that would be worked out in a future peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinian government. In most likely scenarios concerning such an agreement, Israel would cede most of the West Bank to the Palestinian government but keep the area around l
Why was Judea and Samaria named West Bank?
The historical land of Judea and Samaria was named West bank by the Jordanian after they conquered the land in the Arabs aggressive extermination war against the 1 day of independence of the defending Israel in 1948.it was named the West bank by the simple geographical fact of being west to the Jordan river.
How many Israelis live in settlements?
In addition about half a million Israelis live there in settlements that have been built and encouraged by the Israeli government, and they are citizens of Israel with no relation to the Palestinian Authority; their infrastructure, health care, etc. is paid for by Israeli citizens l
Which kingdom is ruled by Jews?
I will follow the explanation using facts and several historical who are proving the above facts: Solomon Kingdom: Judea and Samaria, the land named by the Jordanians the West Bank is ruled by Jews. The Judea and Israel Kingdoms: Judea and Samaria, land named by the Jordanians the West Bank is ruled by Jews.
What is the West Bank called?
The “West Bank” belongs to no one. That is why it is called “disputed” . All the fake experts in international law call it “occupied”, but occupation is only applicable to land that belonged to some country, and the last country the land belonged to was The Ottoman Empire, which no longer exists .The British were mandated to administer the land until it can be re-created as 2 countries, per the Peel Commission recommendation, The British abandoned the region in 1948. Only one country, Israel, was established. The status of the remaining land, after the 1948 cease fire agreement established wha
Why did Israel give back the Golan Heights?
This is why when Israel took it back, they felt justified in keeping it, it was part of the Mandate land promised to them. On the contrary, when they took the Sinai, they gave it back because it was never part of that agreement.
What is the West Bank?
Geographically, the West Bank is mostly composed of north-south–oriented limestone hills (conventionally called the Samarian Hills north of Jerusalem and the Judaean Hills south of Jerusalem) having an average height of 2,300 to 3,000 feet (700 to 900 metres). The hills descend eastwardly to the low-lying Great Rift Valley of the Jordan River and the Dead Sea. The West Bank does not lie entirely within the drainage system of the Jordan River, as elevated areas in the west give rise to the headwaters of streams flowing westward to the Mediterranean Sea.
What are the Palestinian towns in the West Bank?
The principal Palestinian municipalities of the West Bank are Janīn, Nāblus, and Ramallah north of Jerusalem and Bethlehem (Bayt Laḥm) and Hebron (Al-Khalīl) south of Jerusalem. Jericho (Arīḥā) is the chief municipality of the Jordan River valley. Several small universities on the West Bank (founded or attaining university status in the 1970s) enroll mostly Palestinian students.
Which two countries split in the Gaza Strip?
The increasingly violent power struggle between Hamas and Fatah resulted in a split between the West Bank, run by Fatah through the emergency PA government, and the Gaza Strip, controlled by Hamas.
How many Palestinians were displaced after the 1948 war?
Many Palestinians were displaced after the 1948 and 1967 wars. About 300,000 Palestinians (most of whom were originally from territory captured by Israel in 1948) left the impoverished West Bank for Transjordan (later Jordan) during the year after the 1948 war; and about 380,000 Palestinians fled the West Bank after it was captured by the Israelis in 1967. Between 1967 and 1977 an estimated 6,300 Palestinians were evicted from East Jerusalem and replaced by Jewish immigrants, and many others lost their residency rights under the 1992–96 government of Benjamin Netanyahu.
What countries occupied Palestine in 1948?
Upon the departure of the British occupying forces in May 1948 and the proclamation of the State of Israel, the armies of five Arab countries entered Palestine. In the ensuing conflict—the first of the Arab-Israeli wars —Israel expanded beyond the territory contemplated by the partition plan. The West Bank, as demarcated by the Jordanian-Israeli armistice of 1949, was broadly similar to (but smaller than) one of the zones designated as an Arab state by the United Nations (UN) partition plan for Palestine in 1947 ( see United Nations Resolution 181 ). According to that plan, Jerusalem was to have been an international zone. However, the city was instead divided into Israeli (west) and Jordanian (east) sectors. The Arab state whose creation was envisioned by the 1947 UN partition plan never came into being, and the West Bank was formally annexed by Jordan on April 24, 1950, although this annexation was recognized only by Great Britain and Pakistan.
What was the occupation of the West Bank in 1967?
During the 1967 war, Israel occupied the West Bank and established a military administration throughout the area, except in East Jerusalem, which Israel incorporated into itself, extending Israeli citizenship, law, and civil administration to the area.
When did the West Bank become a permanent feature?
In 1988 Jordan’s King Hussein renounced all administrative responsibility for the West Bank, thereby severing his country’s remaining connections with the area. Meanwhile, anti-Israeli protests broke out among the Palestinians of the West Bank in December 1987 and became virtually a permanent feature of West Bank life for the next few years, despite the Israeli army’s continued attempts to suppress the disorders.
What is the West Bank?
The West Bank is a contentious territory, often the focus of any potential peace deal between Israelis and Palestinians. It consists of 2,000 square miles of land that was seized by Isreal during the 1967 Mideast war, or " Six-Day War ," when the country defeated the combined forces of Egypt, Syria, and Jordan.
How many Palestinians live in the West Bank?
The West Bank is currently home to about 2.8 million Palestinian Arabs and 400,000 Jewish residents in 127 communities commonly referred to as settlements.
Where is Amona in Israel?
Amona is the largest of about 100 unauthorized Israeli outposts built in the West Bank without permission. Israel's Supreme Court ruled in 2014 that Amona was built on private Palestinian land and must be demolished.
Is Israel illegal in the West Bank?
The United Nations considers all settlement activity by Israel in the West Bank to be illegal , but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced his intention to annex the settlements in the region.
When did Jordan conquer the West Bank?
Jordan had conquered and annexed the West Bank in 1948 and Jewish people felt they were being deprived access to their holiest prayer site, the Western Wall, in Jerusalem. After the war, Israel took control of the Holy Basin, which includes the Temple Mount, the Western Wall, and the entire West Bank.
Do Palestinians have the right to vote in Israel?
West Bank Palestinians are bound by Israeli military law and do not have the right to vote in Israeli elections. Palestinians cut ties with the Trump administration after it recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and ordered the U.S. embassy in Israel moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
What is the West Bank?
As its name implies, the West Bank is a territory situated on the western bank of the Jordan River. Many countries recognize it as being part of the so-called State of Palestine, but Palestine’s borders are yet to be determined, pending a resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. For both Israelis and Palestinians, the West Bank forms the heart of the Biblical Holy Land. It contains several important religious sites that are holy to Jews, Christians, and Muslims. The West Bank is also home to most of the Palestinian population, and the headquarters of the Palestinian Authority (PA).
How many people live in the West Bank?
More than 3.2 million people live in the West Bank. This includes residents of East Jerusalem. Most of the people residing in the West Bank are Palestinians, but there are also hundreds of thousands of Israelis who have come to live in communities built by the Jewish state after the 1967 war. Palestinian refugees and their descendants make up around 30% of the West Bank’s population. East Jerusalem is the most populous city in the territory. The city is heavily-contested by Israelis and Palestinians. Israelis see it as part of their unified capital of Jerusalem, while Palestinians want it as the capital of a future Palestinian state. Other major cities in the West Bank include Hebron, Bethlehem, Nablus, Jericho, Tulkarm, and Ramallah, which serves as the headquarters of the PA.
How long did Jordan control the West Bank?
The West Bank would remain under Jordanian control for 19 years. In 1967, however, the map of the Middle East would fundamentally change. Expecting an attack by its Arab neighbors, Israel launched pre-emptive strikes on Egypt and Syria. For its part, Jordan’s King Hussein I was initially reluctant to enter the war, but did so anyways, under foreign and domestic pressure. Thus, Jordanian forces opened fire on Israel in Jerusalem. Jordan’s decision to enter the war proved catastrophic as the country would end up losing the entire West Bank. The so-called Six Day War left Israel in control of the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and the Sinai Peninsula.
Is the West Bank part of the Palestinian state?
The status of the West Bank remains in con tention. Many Israelis want their government to formally annex parts of the territory, while Palestinians remain adamant that the entire West Bank, including East Jerusalem, be part of a future Palestinian state. Since the beginning of the 21 st century, several attempts have been made to revive the peace process, but without any success. Meanwhile, the Palestinians are growing frustrated with their own leaders. Presidential and parliamentary elections in PA-ruled territory have not been held for 15 years. During this time, the economic and living conditions of ordinary Palestinians in the West Bank have worsened. The PA itself is struggling with corruption and financial difficulties. Some fear it could eventually collapse altogether, leaving Israel responsible for the entire West Bank once again.
How many Israelis live in the West Bank?
As of 2017, excluding East Jerusalem, 382,916 Israelis have settled in the West Bank, and 40% (approximately 170,000 in 106 other settlements) live outside the major settlement blocs, where 214,000 reside.
When did Israel rule the West Bank?
During the 1967 June War Israel appointed a Military Governor to rule the West Bank, with a remit to retain Jordanian law except where these conflicted with Israel's rights as belligerent occupying power. From 1967 to 2014, the Israeli administration issued over 1,680 military orders regarding the West Bank.
What was the occupation of the West Bank?
During the 1967 June War Israel appointed a Military Governor to rule the West Bank, with a remit to retain Jordanian law except where these conflicted with Israel's rights as belligerent occupying power. The Israeli administration of Palestinian territories became in time "the longest – and, accordingly, the most entrenched and institutionalized – belligerent occupation in modern history", issuing from 1967 to 2014 over 1,680 military orders regarding the West Bank. The third military order, issued two days after the onset of the occupation, specified that military courts were to apply the provisions of the Fourth Geneva Convention regarding the protection of civilians in a war zone: within 4 months this stipulation was erased from the order. Jordan maintains that some of the laws ostensibly retained from its code, stemming from the Mandatory Defence (Emergency) Regulations of 1945, had in fact been abolished, and were invalid as they conflicted with the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949. The Israeli Military Governorate was dissolved in 1981, and in its place the Israeli military established the Israeli Civil Administration. The military order establishing the Israeli Civil Administration, military order 947, specified that "the Civil Administration shall administer civilian affairs ... with regard to the welfare and benefit of the population." Meron Benvenisti argues that this transition marked the transformation of the occupation from a temporary into a permanent system.
What occupations did Israel take in 1967?
Southern Lebanon occupation. Sinai Peninsula occupation. Proposed. Jordan Valley annexation. West Bank annexation. The Israeli occupation of the West Bank began on 7 June 1967 during the Six-Day War when Israel occupied the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and continues to the present day.
What does the yellow line on the West Bank mean?
Map of West Bank settlements and closures in January 2006: Yellow = Palestinian urban centers. Light pink = closed military areas or settlement boundary areas or areas isolated by the Israeli West Bank barrier; dark pink = settlements, outposts or military bases. The black line = route of the Barrier
What were the consequences of the occupation of the West Bank?
The early occupation set severe limits on public investment and comprehensive development programmes in the territories. British and Arab commercial banks operating in the West Bank were closed down soon after Israel assumed power there. Bank Leumi then opened nine branches, without successfully replacing the earlier system. Farmers could get loans, but Palestinian businessmen avoided taking out loans from them since they charged 9% compared to 5% interest in Jordan. Land confiscations led to rural labour seeking employment, even if mainly menial, in Israel, causing a labour scarcity in the West Bank, and their remittances were the major factor in Palestinian economic growth during the 1969-73 boom years.
How did the Israeli occupation affect the economy?
One analysis has concluded that the costs of maintaining Israel's occupation is a contributing factor to the rise of poverty in Israel, where poverty levels have jumped from one in ten families in the 1970s, compared to one in five at present. The high costs of subsidizing the settlement project shifted investment from Israel's development towns on its periphery and led to cutbacks in sectors like health care, education and welfare. The settlement surge under Begin's Likud government was detrimental to housing development for Israelis in Israel: 44% of the entire budget of the Ministry of Housing and Construction in 1982 went to West Bank settlements. The substitution of imported foreign labour for Palestinians has also arguably lowered the bargaining power of Israeli blue-collar workers. In the aftermath of the Second Intifada, the budgetary allocations for Israel's social security net were reduced drastically: between 2001 and 2005 as defense outlays ratcheted up, child allowances were cut by 45%, unemployment compensation by 47%, and income maintenance by 25%. The annual growth, NIS 4.6 billion, in the defence budget for the decade 2007 onwards recommended by the Brodet Commission was close to Israel's total annual expenditure on higher education. Defense specialists also claim that guarding settlers lowers the combat readiness of soldiers, since they have far less time to train. It is also argued that the logic of settlements undermines Israel's rule of law.
