Israel aims to isolate Bethlehem, expel Palestinian Christians with new settlement plan

BETHLEHEM, Palestine

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has announced plans for the establishment of a new settlement in Bethlehem in the southern part of the occupied West Bank on land seized from Palestinians.

Through this, Tel Aviv aims to geographically connect the illegal Gush Etzion settlement to Jerusalem.

In a statement posted on his X account on Aug. 14, Smotrich claimed that “connecting Gush Etzion to Jerusalem is a national duty.”

He said the new settlement, which will be called “Nahal Heletz,” will be located inside Gush Etzion.

Land outside ‘Blue Line’ likely to be included

In the occupied Palestinian territories, the Israeli army's civil administration also announced that it had unilaterally declared the “Blue Line” – borders that define the boundaries of the settlement area -- as Israeli land.

According to the Israeli NGO Peace Now, the Blue Line must be updated before a construction plan can be approved. Pointing to the fragmented and irregular shape of the Blue Line and the difficulties of building settlements in such an area, the organization said that based on past experiences, it is highly likely that land outside the Blue Line will be included in the settlement and Palestinians will be denied access to it.

Additionally, part of the area in the new settlement plan announced by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Smotrich is protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the plan advances de facto annexation in defiance of the UNESCO Convention to which Israel is a party.

According to Peace Now, the new settlement in Nahal Heletz will create an isolated area deep inside the Palestinian territories and will inevitably increase frictions and security challenges.

Christian presence in area at risk

“The Israelis are destroying one of the last Christian strongholds in the West Bank, where I have chosen to stay while researching the Palestinian presence in the Holy Land. This is incredible ancient history. The cradle of Christianity and the people here are descendants of Christians from the time of Jesus Christ. Why is no one reporting on this?” said historian William Dalrymple.

Pointing to Smotrich's announcement of a new settlement to be built in the Al-Mahrur Valley on land that will be seized from Palestinians, Dalrymple said that Israeli settlers tried to seize it, but the Palestinians resisted, adding “this is one of the last Christian villages in the region.”

According to data released by the Palestinian Authority's population administration, the Christian population in Palestine declined from 70,000 in 1922 to 47,000 in 2017.

Palestinian family resists Israeli annexation plans

The Christian Kisiyye family, residents of Al-Mahrur Valley near the UNESCO World Heritage site of Nahal Heletz, are fighting against Israel's colonial activities.

In 2019, Israeli authorities demolished the family's homes and businesses in Al-Mahrur Valley. In July, Israelis arrived and built an illegal shack-like structure on the family's land. This raised the threat of land grabbing in the surrounding area.

The Israelis built a fence around the area and tried to build in the area. When the Palestinian family, with the participation of activists, tried to resist the Israelis attempting to seize their land, Israeli soldiers arrived and drove them away.

Alis Kisiyye, who owns land in Al-Mahrur Valley, said that despite a ruling of the Central Court in Jerusalem that the land belongs to them, the Israelis, using their influence in the region and with the support of Smotrich, sent underage Israelis under the protection of the Israeli army to the area and evicted the family.

“We are an ordinary family, and we proved in court that we own this land through the power of faith, but they are trying to displace the people through force and usurpers. But we are determined to protect our land,” she said.

Noting that the land consisting of Battir, Al-Walaja and Al-Mahrur is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and that people have vineyards and gardens there, Kisiyye called on the owners of these lands, which are in danger of being usurped, saying “now is the time to unite against these colonial settlement activities.”

Isolating Bethlehem

Anti-settlement activist Jamil Kassas pointed out that the decision to build a new settlement aims to connect the illegal settlement of Gush Etzion to Jerusalem and seize more Palestinian land.

“Smotrich's decision aims to connect Al-Mahrur, Battir, Velece and Jerusalem and create an uninterrupted settlement in a straight line. If this happens, Bethlehem will be isolated from other areas.”

Emphasizing that the Israeli government is a “usurper and colonialist” government, Kassas said the policy of usurpation works as “first confiscating 1-2 acres, then expanding this area,” and then the lands are fenced off and declared closed military zones and the Palestinians are cut off from their lands.

“Everyone must defend their land. Land means life for Palestinians,” Kassas added.