Israel to Green Light Construction of 2,000 Jewish Homes in West Bank

Israeli authorities are expected this week to authorize the construction of 2,000 homes in Jewish communities located outside of the large settlement blocs in the West Bank. According to the Israeli body responsible for issuing building permits across the Green Line, only about 800 homes will receive final approval for actual construction, while applications for the remaining 1,200-odd houses will be advanced to another stage in what is generally a lengthy series of planning phases. Perhaps most controversially, about 75% of the homes will ultimately be built deep in the West Bank and not in areas that most Israelis believe will be retained in the event of a future peace deal with the Palestinian Authority. The announcement comes just days after Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu once again vowed to annex parts of the West Bank, including the strategic Jordan Valley, a move he claimed would be backed by the Trump Administration.