Israel Reopens West Bank Settlement Kadim Amid Protest
Israel Re-establishes West Bank Settlement, Defying International Objections
By Decode Today News
In a significant move that challenges established international legal norms, Israel has recently re-established the Kadim settlement in the occupied West Bank, two decades after it was closed by a previous Israeli government. Thirty "pioneer families" arrived at the settlement on Thursday, traveling from Tel Aviv, according to the regional settlers' council. Their arrival, marked by blue and white Israeli flags fluttering from their cars, passed Palestinian villages and farmlands, with some families arriving under military escort, hauling trailers laden with bedding, furniture, and building materials.
This re-establishment comes as Israel's current government has overturned a 20-year ban on Jewish settlements around Jenin, a decision that has been met with growing fear among Palestinian residents watching the new push for settlement expansion. All Israeli settlements and settler outposts are considered illegal under international law. Even outposts are illegal under Israeli law, though they frequently receive support through state services and funding, indicating a complex interplay between legal frameworks and practical governance.
A Return After Two Decades: The Political and Strategic Calculus
The reopening of Kadim represents a tangible manifestation of the Jewish nationalism driving Israel's current government. Israel's far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, speaking at the opening ceremony, used the Biblical term for the northern West Bank, stating, "21 years after the crime of expulsion from northern Samaria, we have completed the correction [...] and have returned to the settlement of Kadim." Smotrich was joined by other senior Israeli politicians, including the Justice Minister and the Speaker of the Knesset, Amir Ohana. Yossi Dagan, head of the regional settlers' council, also attended, vowing that settlers would one day return to Gaza, signaling broader territorial aspirations.
Kadim, situated on a small hillside outside the Palestinian city of Jenin, was originally evacuated in 2005. This was part of a wider unilateral Disengagement Plan that also saw all Jewish settlers and soldiers pulled out of Gaza, alongside three other settlements in the northern West Bank. At the time, these four settlements were deemed too isolated, costly to protect, and of limited strategic value, a strategic calculus that has evidently shifted under the current administration.
Palestinian Residents Voice Deep-Seated Fears
For Palestinians living near Kadim, the return of settlers evokes a profound sense of fear and resignation. A Palestinian vegetable farmer, living in the house he was born in 53 years ago, recounted observing Kadim's initial construction as a boy and then its evacuation two decades later. "Back then, the settlers were living alongside us, and we coexisted peacefully. They lived their lives and we lived ours," he shared. However, the current re-establishment has rekindled anxieties.
"I'm afraid of the events spreading around us, and the bypass road [where] they demolished shops and businesses," he told journalists, referencing concrete impacts on local livelihoods. He also described how his nephews were driven away from their vegetable and citrus trees with explicit warnings: "'you have no place here, don't come back.'" Having fled from Haifa during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, he concluded, "There's no more displacement left in me. We're living with a sense of resignation. It's a life of fear."
Broader Expansion: Over 100 New Settlements Approved
Kadim is not an isolated incident but rather the latest in a series of re-opened settlements. Ganim, Sanur, and Homesh, also evacuated in 2005, have already been formally reopened, with families having moved in. However, these re-establishments represent only a fraction of the Israeli government's wider settlement project in the West Bank.
Since taking power in late 2022, the current government has approved more than 100 new settlements across the West Bank, including 19 specifically in the northern West Bank. Hagit Ofran, director of the Settlement Watch programme at Peace Now, suggests that the rapid pace of construction in Jenin and other areas is part of a broader push by the Israeli government to expand settlements before Israeli elections, scheduled for October.
One such new development is Emek Dotan, located to the west of Jenin, which formally opened last Sunday and is now home to nearly two dozen Jewish families. Samer Jaber, a teacher from a small Palestinian hamlet next door to Emek Dotan, described witnessing the settlement take shape, from bulldozers to caravans. He reported that problems began even before most families moved in, with groups filming his family and shining powerful floodlights into their homes at early morning hours. Partially blind and with a leg injury, Jaber highlighted his vulnerability: "Fear dominates everything. We are completely defenceless. All of them have weapons. I'm bringing concrete blocks to close off this side of the house because I'm afraid for my children."
Escalating Military Presence and Infrastructure Development
Alongside the new civilian settlements, a significant military infrastructure expansion is also underway. Two new Israeli military bases are rapidly being constructed, characterized by churning construction vehicles, high concrete walls topped with watchtowers, and barbed wire. Additionally, a military outpost is being built on seized Palestinian land next to Jenin Refugee Camp. This marks a critical development, as it is the first Israeli military base to be constructed on land under full Palestinian Authority control since the Oslo Accords were signed in 1993. The Israel Defence Forces confirmed that the construction of the outpost in Jabriyat was ordered "in accordance with operational needs."
Kamal Abu al-Rub, the Palestinian Authority Governor for Jenin, expressed deep concern that Israel's seizure of land around the refugee camp might signal a plan to house settlers there, effectively dividing the heart of a Palestinian city, similar to scenarios seen in Hebron or Jerusalem. He lamented the preceding two decades without settlers around Jenin as "bliss," contrasting it with the present reality: "Now, we live in the hell orchestrated by them and their assaults. It limits our movement. They cut off roads, bulldoze lands and cut down trees."
Understanding the Geopolitical Dynamics of West Bank Settlements
The re-establishment and expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank are central to the enduring Israeli-Palestinian conflict and have significant geopolitical ramifications. Under international law, particularly the Fourth Geneva Convention, the transfer of an occupying power's own population into occupied territory is prohibited, rendering Israeli settlements illegal. Despite this, successive Israeli governments have facilitated their growth, often citing historical and security claims. The current government, driven by a strong nationalist agenda, views these settlements as integral to Israeli sovereignty, challenging established international compliance frameworks.
The strategic value of these settlements is often debated, with some arguing for their security benefits and others highlighting their role in fragmenting Palestinian territorial contiguity. The ongoing construction of both civilian settlements and military bases reflects a broader strategy aimed at solidifying Israeli control over the West Bank. This approach, alongside the perceived lack of effective international intervention, contributes to a growing sense of desperation among Palestinians. As Samer Jaber, the schoolteacher, critically assessed, "Europe has no time for us, America is preoccupied with Iran, China has no interest. Russia is busy with Ukraine, the United Nations is finished, and the Arab countries have their own internal problems." He concluded with palpable bitterness, "Democratic systems are over, they're finished. Civilisation, progress and modernity are lies."
The speed of these changes is alarming for many observers. A mere few weeks ago, a café on the road connecting Kadim through the northern West Bank to Israel stood active; today, that café and dozens of other Palestinian shops and businesses along the road are reduced to piles of rubble, demolished by the Israeli army. This rapid destruction and construction underscore the intense geopolitical dynamics at play, with the countdown to Israeli elections in October seemingly marked by the increasing number of Palestinian buildings demolished and new settler caravans installed.
Key Developments in West Bank Settlement Expansion
- Kadim Reopened: After a 20-year closure, 30 "pioneer families" recently arrived at Kadim settlement, near Jenin, under military escort.
- Government Mandate: Israel's current government overturned a 2005 ban on Jewish settlement in the area and has approved over 100 new settlements across the West Bank since late 2022.
- Senior Official Presence: Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, Justice Minister, and Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana attended Kadim's reopening ceremony, underscoring high-level support.
- Other Settlements: Ganim, Sanur, and Homesh, also evacuated in 2005, have already been formally reopened and resettled.
- New Settlements: Emek Dotan, west of Jenin, recently opened and houses almost two dozen Jewish families.
- Military Build-up: Two new Israeli military bases and an outpost near Jenin Refugee Camp (on PA-controlled land) are under rapid construction, citing "operational needs."
- Palestinian Impact: Residents report increased fear, harassment, land seizures, and demolitions of shops and businesses, restricting movement and causing economic hardship.
