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Do Not Settle! Why there are No Legitimate Settlements

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It is in the interest of Israel and its allies that a future Palestinian state, established alongside Israel, will be able to stand on its own two feet, both politically and economically. Viability is not merely a function of the present opportunity afforded by a given space, but also of its potential to afford opportunity in decades to come. The future agreement may include some land swaps, but the amount of land Israel may annex and give in return to the Palestinian state is very limited. Continued Israeli construction inside and on the edges of some of the very settlements Israel believes it can absorb as part of a land swap deal, threatens the viability of a future Palestinian state, thereby destroying the prospects of a two-state solution.

The new report by Peace Now defines some basic elements upon which a viable Palestinian state must be built. Whether it be urbanism, balanced growth, transportation network, open spaces etc., these elements must be guaranteed and fortified. The paper shows how any settlement development hinders the possibility of a viable Palestinian state, and how any attempt to draw a line between ‘legitimate’ and ‘illegitimate’ settlements would only give further legitimacy to the settlement project as a whole and may destroy the chances for peace.

Watch a short video with the main findings of our report:

DOWNLOAD THE FULL REPORT AS PDF