Illegal settlements

The apartheid state of Israel has unveiled plans for one of its new settlements in the occupied West Bank, escalating tensions just one day before scheduled new peace talks for Gaza, which are crucial for preventing a potential regional conflict. Most UN member states view settlements constructed in the West Bank and other territories captured by Israel during the 1967 war as illegal under international law. Israel, however, contests this interpretation, arguing that the Jewish people have historical and biblical connections to the land. But that has not deterred the neo-colonial mindset prevalent across the entity's political leadership. Global powers too have failed to rein in Israel's illegal expansion via settlements on Palestinian land. Apart from token sanctions against some settlers, not much has been done to curtail the practice.

Since the founding of the state of Israel, successive US administrations, both Democratic and Republican, have consistently supported Tel Aviv despite its problematic actions toward the Palestinians. The reality is that the US has seldom acted as an impartial mediator in the Arab-Israeli conflict. With the world's only superpower backing them, Israel has relentlessly pursued the appropriation of Palestinian land and the shedding of Arab blood without hesitation. Despite opposition from the UN and EU regarding the annexation of illegal settlements, the international community seems limited to merely expressing 'regret' over Israel's actions. The Israeli government, made up of Zionist hardliners, is now trying its best to kill the two-state solution. Much Palestinian blood has been shed over the decades since the entity was founded. And there can be no peace till the Palestinians are given their due rights and their land to form a separate state. If world powers, including China and Russia, are serious about peace in the Middle East, a permanent solution needs to be found.