WEST BANK—Land has always been a major issue in Israel—historically, politically, and religiously. But it goes beyond internal strife, sometimes drawing criticism from foreign governments.
This has been the case in recent months with the Obama administration putting heavy pressure on Israel to freeze construction in Jewish settlements in the West Bank. While the U.S. has a plethora of reasons to call for the freeze, the situation on the ground is more complex than a policy decision.
“Jews have lived uninterrupted in the land of Israel for thousands of years,” said Jennifer Mizrahi, Founder and President of The Israel Project, a non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C. that educates the press and public about Israel. “There’s a lot of empty land in the West Bank…it is an inexpensive way to live for people working in Tel Aviv or Jerusalem.”
The West Bank—the land to the west of the Jordan River and the east of Jerusalem—is a hodge-podge of Arab villages and cities, legal Jewish settlements, and illegal Jewish settlement outposts. The entire area, spanning about 2,200 square miles, is crisscrossed and surrounded by checkpoints, roadblocks, and a partial wall separating the West Bank from Israel proper for security.
“I think it’s much more complicated for people in America who tend to think that Jews live on one side of the wall,” said Ms. Mizrahi. “It’s much more like a checkerboard. You have literally one community on one hill, and three hills over you have another community. [But each community is] visually different in architecture.”
This has been the case in recent months with the Obama administration putting heavy pressure on Israel to freeze construction in Jewish settlements in the West Bank. While the U.S. has a plethora of reasons to call for the freeze, the situation on the ground is more complex than a policy decision.
“Jews have lived uninterrupted in the land of Israel for thousands of years,” said Jennifer Mizrahi, Founder and President of The Israel Project, a non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C. that educates the press and public about Israel. “There’s a lot of empty land in the West Bank…it is an inexpensive way to live for people working in Tel Aviv or Jerusalem.”
The West Bank—the land to the west of the Jordan River and the east of Jerusalem—is a hodge-podge of Arab villages and cities, legal Jewish settlements, and illegal Jewish settlement outposts. The entire area, spanning about 2,200 square miles, is crisscrossed and surrounded by checkpoints, roadblocks, and a partial wall separating the West Bank from Israel proper for security.
“I think it’s much more complicated for people in America who tend to think that Jews live on one side of the wall,” said Ms. Mizrahi. “It’s much more like a checkerboard. You have literally one community on one hill, and three hills over you have another community. [But each community is] visually different in architecture.”
Calls for Change
President Obama has repeatedly called for Israel to halt building and expanding construction on settlements in the West Bank.
