Why Israel’s communities in Judea and Samaria are no obstacle to peace . . . or to a Palestinian state

Dear Friend of Israel, Friend of FLAME:

Israel’s critics—including the Biden Administration—hound the Jewish state incessantly for nurturing communities in Judea and Samaria (aka the West Bank). But they never explain exactly why or how these communities prevent peace or a Palestinian state in the future.

In fact, these communities need in no way preclude peace between Israel and the Palestinians, nor are they an obstacle to a Palestinian state.

Most Americans have never visited this part of the Holy Land, so they may not realize some important facts about it historically or understand its profound geopolitical reality.

First, Jewish communities in Judea and Samara are not located on sections of land owned or controlled by the Palestinians —nor have the Palestinians ever had sovereignty there. Rather, this region, known as Area C, is—by agreement with the Palestinians through the Oslo Accords—controlled exclusively by Israel.

Second, these Jewish communities are located in the heartland of ancient biblical civilization, where Jews have lived continuously—except during recent periods of their ethnic cleansing—for 3000 years.

Third, surprisingly, while this region of Judea and Samaria makes up fully 60% of the total West Bank land mass, Jews are the clear majority population there. More than 90% of the Palestinian population in Judea and Samaria live on the other 40% of the land.

Thus, we see that Jews are not taking land that Palestinians own or have ever owned. Even more importantly, the overwhelming majority of Palestinians in the West Bank do not live in the same areas where Jews are building communities. In short, there’s plenty of room in Judea and Samaria for Jews and Arabs to live peacefully.

Finally, it’s important to remember that the international community and Israel have numerous times offered up the vast majority of Judea and Samaria for a Palestinian state, but the Arabs and later the Arab Palestinians have for 75 years rejected every single offer.

Contrary to frequent media references to Palestinian territory, this is not a legal designation under international law. However due to provisions of the 1993-95 Oslo Accords, the Palestinian Authority (PA) now has provisional control over some areas of Judea and Samaria—the areas in which the majority of their population lives.

Under the Oslo Accords, Palestinians have autonomy in what are known as Areas A and B, which together encompass roughly 40% of Judea and Samaria.

In Area A, which encompasses approximately 18% of Judea and Samaria, the Palestinians have full control of internal security, public order and civil affairs. This is the area containing the largest Palestinian towns and cities, including Bethlehem, Jericho, Nablus (Shchem), Ramallah, Qalqilya, Tulkarm, Jenin and most of Hebron.

Area B encompasses 22% of Judea and Samaria and contains all other areas of the territory heavily populated by Palestinians, including 450 towns, villages, refugee camps and hamlets. Here, Palestinians have control over public order and civil affairs, but Israel retains control of internal security in cooperation with the PA. This arrangement was made so Israel could still maintain a security presence in the strategically important mountainous high ground of Judea and Samaria, nearly all of which is located in Area B.

Area C is under full Israeli control. It contains all the Israeli communities and military bases established in the territory, as well as the main roads that link the Israeli communities to each other and the rest of the Jewish state.

Area C is also the cradle of the ancient Jewish civilization. It contains important Jewish historical sites, such as the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron, and Shomron, the site of the capital of the ancient northern Israelite kingdom. To the east, it also includes the Jordan Valley’s central plains and the border with Jordan.

In addition, in its western reaches, Area C contains the outskirts of Israel’s capital, Jerusalem, as well as the mountainous terrain overlooking Israel’s heavily-populated coastal plain, and the Jordan Valley—all of which are vital for maintaining Israel’s security.

Thus, from Israel’s strategic standpoint, it’s highly problematic for this area, or at least most of it, to be part of a future Palestinian state.

Strategic considerations aside, why do ordinary Israelis live in Judea and Samaria?

Many do so out of a religious conviction—to return to the land of their forefathers. However, most live there for more mundane reasons —housing is cheaper, the quality of life is high, and many of the communities established in Judea and Samaria are located within practical reach of Israel’s main population centers in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.

Jews are by far the majority population of Area C, which hosts more than 500,000 Israelis. In contrast, the Palestinian population is significantly smaller—estimated to be about 175,000. This means that about two-thirds of Area C’s residents are Israeli Jews.

Nevertheless, it is still possible for the Palestinians to establish a Palestinian state in the future, consisting primarily of present-day Areas A and B—the two areas where the vast majority of Palestinians live—about 2.5 million.

Critics charge that a Palestinian state is not possible, because the territory of Area C divides Areas A and B into many separate pieces, preventing the establishment of a territorially contiguous Palestinian state. But territorial contiguity has never been an obstacle to Palestinian statehood or peace in general.

In fact, the Palestinians have been offered a viable and contiguous state in Judea and Samaria three times, in 2000, 2001 and 2008. All three of these plans would have given the Palestinians more than 90% of Judea and Samaria, including most of present-day Area C.

These plans would have also involved the removal of all Israeli communities from the territory of the future Palestinian state. The Palestinians rejected all these offers.

How can Israeli communities be an absolute obstacle to peace or Palestinian statehood when even the promise to remove them didn’t in the past convince the Palestinians to make a deal?

Please make the point when speaking with family, friends, colleagues—or in letters to the editor— that it is not the presence of Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria that impedes peace or Palestinian statehood. Rather, it’s the refusal of the Palestinians to accept the presence of Jews or a Jewish state in their midst.

Put another way: The burden is on critics of Israel’s residential communities in Judea and Samaria to show how these areas—in which Jews are the majority—prevent peace or a Palestinian state. What’s the problem exactly?

I hope you’ll also take a minute, while you have this material front and center, to forward this message to friends, visit FLAME’s lively Facebook page and review the P.S. immediately below. It describes FLAME’s new hasbarah campaign—”Demand Justice for Jewish Students”—which exposes rising attacks on Jewish college students’ identity and how these acts of antisemitism can be defeated.

Best regards,

James Sinkinson, Publisher
Facts and Logic About the Middle East (FLAME)

P.S.

You’ve surely seen headlines describing increasing attacks on Jewish students—in the classroom and in the public square—by radical anti-Zionist students, as well as faculty members. So far, university administrators have failed to prevent this kind of antisemitism on campus. At the heart of this discrimination, Israel’s enemies outrageously claim that Zionism is not part of being Jewish. No wonder more and more Jewish students are hiding their Jewish identities on campus. I think you’ll agree that we supporters of Israel need to speak out. FLAME’s new hasbarah—explanatory message—“Demand Justice for Jewish Students”—tells how recent law suits based on Title VI anti-discrimination laws are putting pressure on college administrators to protect Jewish students from such attacks. I hope you’ll review this convincing, fact-based editorial, which FLAME recently published in the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, New York Post, Chicago Tribune, Houston Chronicle, Star Tribune, Los Angeles Times and Newsmax. This piece will also be sent to all members of Congress, Vice President Harris and President Biden. If you agree that this kind of public relations effort on Israel’s behalf is critical, I urge you to support us. As of today, more than 15,000 Israel supporters receive the FLAME Hotline at no charge every week. If you’re not yet a subscriber, won’t you join us in receiving these timely updates, so you can more effectively tell the truth about Israel? Just go to free subscription.