Palestinian land annexed by settlements increased by 182% in two decades

(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - Data published by a Palestinian research institute specialized in monitoring settlement activities in the occupied West Bank revealed that Palestinian land annexed by settlements has increased by 182 percent in the past two decades.Applied Research Institute Jerusalem (ARIJ) noted in a report that the area annexed by Israeli settlements has increased from 69 km² in 1990, to 194.7 km² in 2012.The number of Israeli settlers went from 240,000 in 1990 to more than 693,000 in 2012, - an increase of 189%, ARIJ added.It said: "Since Netanyahu came to power in March 2009, he has offered no viable alternatives to the status-quo in the occupied Palestinian territory, nor has he ever addressed the Palestinians as equal partners in the peace process.""He actively spurns peace by continuing and expanding construction activities in the Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, especially focusing on Israeli settlements in East Jerusalem".The report added that although Netanyahu declared in November 2009 a ten-month settlement freeze in West Bank, beginning in December 2009 until September 2010, various Israeli ministries and bodies published plans for building 25,000 housing units in West Bank settlements during that period."99% of the plans were issued for Israeli settlements in East Jerusalem and settlements located in the Western Segregation Zone, (the area Israel seeks to annex through the construction of the Segregation Wall), as well as for Israeli settlements located in existing major settlement blocs."ARIJ noted: "By continuing construction in settlement blocs surrounding Jerusalem, Israel is aiming to cut off the city from the rest of the West Bank Governorates. To that end, Israel wants to maintain control over the five major Israeli settlement blocs in the West Bank to ensure that it remains a predominantly Jewish state.”End item/ 149