Current sectionWest Bank NewsShare to FacebookShare to XArticle printing is available to subscribers onlyPrint in a simple, ad-free formatSubscribeComments: Zen reading is available to subscribers onlyAd-free and in a comfortable reading formatSubscribeDuring its term, Israel's government has approved the establishment and legalization of dozens of strategically placed settlements across the West Bank. The goal: to create irreversible facts on the ground that could make any future political settlement nearly impossible. Even if a future coalition tries to reverse course, experts say, it will be extremely difficult to do so08:00 PM • June 30 2026 IDT"Today we are establishing historical facts on the ground. The Palestinian state is being erased from the table, not with slogans but with actions. Every community, every neighborhood, every housing unit is another nail in the coffin of this dangerous idea." Minister Bezalel Smotrich made these remarks last August, following the approval of the E1 plan which allows construction between Jerusalem and the settlement of Ma'aleh Adumim. "This is a significant step that effectively erases the illusion of 'two states'," he added. In the News103 Nails on the Map: How Israel's Government Is Burying the Two-state SolutionIsraeli Government Failed to Act on Dead Sea Receding Water Level, Report SaysPoll: Most Opposition Voters Support Coalition Role for Arab PartiesKnesset Advances Bill Giving Jewish Religious Studies Special StatusEisenkot, What Will You Do About Settler Terror?Remembering and rebuilding two years laterICYMIAdvanced Israeli Systems Sold to Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Documents and Images ShowIsrael 2026 Election Poll Tracker: The Latest ProjectionsA Collapsing Society: Israel Suffers National Mental Crisis Due to the WarFlagGate: How Israel Set Off a Storm by Hosting a Separatist Genocide DenierWhy Israelis Should Stop Being Afraid of Mamdani-backed Brad LanderSettlers Tried to Torch Palestinian Homes. They Messed With the Wrong Village