Phase 2 West Bank & Gaza 1967-now:

Occupation and Colonisation

Israel has occupied the West Bank and Gaza strip since 1967. When the Likud party came to power in 1977 Israel set about expansion , creating an Israel from the Medditarean to the Jordan. It created Jewish settlements(colonies) on every hilltop despite their illegality. They have been expanded every year since then. Israeli martial law is the law in the West Bank & Gaza and has been for 38 years.

Israel's army robs the Palestinians of their homeland, land and resources whilst it controls them using checkpoints, pass laws, watchtowers, 'Israeli settler only' roads & infrastructure. It uses group punishment, violence & threats. It demolishes homes and olive groves with impunity. Its external and internal closures has suffocated the economy according to the World Bank.

West Bank

Roads for Israeli settlers only , dissect the whole area and give them a separate infrastructure. Palestinian roads are routed in tunnels under these roads or are stopped by checkpoints where they intersect.

Gaza : Reputably the most crowded strip of land in the world. Most of 1.3 million Gaza families are refugees in 1948 from a few miles outside in Israel.

"Palestinians aren't allowed on this road," notes Lourenco (Israeli activist), though the road cuts through Palestinian farmland. The only other vehicles are military tanks and Humvees, jeeps from nongovernmental agencies, or the cars of Jewish settlers from illegal settlements that dot the hillsides. About 400 miles of such roads, open only to Jews, snake across the West Bank.

Machsom Israeli Women Activists Talking to Christian Science Monitor

Israel has established in the Occupied Territories a separation cum discrimination regime, in which it maintains two systems of laws, and a person’s rights are based on his or her national origin. This regime is the only one of its kind in the world, and brings to mind dark regimes of the past, such as the Apartheid regime in South Africa.

Btselem Israeli Human Rights Organisation

Phase 3 - 2006 Annexation Plan

Demography

The number of Palestinians living between the Mediteranean and the Jordan is beginning to match that of Jews so Israeli leaders now sees the occupation of the West Bank and Gaza as a demographic threat to a Jewish state. Hence they plans to end the occupation, annex what it can of the remaining Palestinian land and replace its ground forces with external controls (land , sea and air).

GAZA First:

Israel has removed the settlers in 2003 but independence for Gaza did not arrive. Israel has closed the only goods entry/exit (Karni) most of the time since then . This has destroyed any chance of economic viability. Israel has also destroyed Gaza's only power station leaving half the population without power and some without water. This will leave Gaza dependant on Israel for energy . The connection between Gaza and the West Bank is mostly closed. Gaza has become effectively a prison.

Now the West Bank:

Above is Sharon/Olmert's plan for annexation of 40 % plus of the West Bank and a prison 'state' broken into pieces for the Palestinians. It makes no mention of the refugees.

Map of Israel's annexation plan by BBC analyst May 2006. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4856762.stm

The wall on the east of the West Bank annexes 9.5% of remaining Palestinian land. Israeli settlements still in the West Bank takes 8.0%.

Israel has been rapidly creating new settlements in the Jordan Valley and excluding Palestinians there. It plans to 'stay in control' of this whole area with its precious water springs and flush agricultural land. This is another 28.5 %.

This plan fulfills the Likud vision of Israel . The proposed Palestinian 'state' is completel;y enclosed by Israel who will totally control all access, trade , and economic development. It will control the skies and the water underground ( An extremely necessary and scarce resource).

"Apartheid. The “A” word was missing from Olmert’s speech, of course, but the bottom line of his convergence plan is clear: the establishment of a permanent, institutionalized regime of Israeli domination over Palestinians based on separation between Jews and Arabs. Olmert may believe that Jews can succeed where Afrikaners failed, but history teaches us that in the end injustice is unsustainable".

Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions Jeff Halper May 2006