The West Bank (Arabic: الضفة الغربية‎, aḍ-Ḍiffä l-Ġarbīyä, Hebrew: הגדה המערבית‎, Hagadah Hamaaravit), also referred to in Israel as "Judea and Samaria", is a landlocked territory on the west bank of the Jordan River in the Middle East. Jenin ( Arabic:; ג'נין a city in the West Bank 's Jenin Governorate, is a major Palestinian agricultural center The Jenin Governorate ( محافظة جنين) is one of a number of Governorates of the West Bank and Gaza Strip within the Palestinian Territories, It Tulkarm or Tulkarem ( طولكرم Ṭūlkarm; טול כרם) is a Palestinian city in the Tulkarm Governorate in the The Tulkarm Governorate ( محافظة طولكرم) is an administrative district and one of 16 Governorates of the Palestinian National Authority located in the northwestern The Tubas Governorate ( محافظة طوباس) is an administrative district of the Palestinian National Authority in the northeastern West Bank. Tubas is also the plural form of Tuba, a musical instrument Tubas ( طوباس, Tubâs) is a Palestinian Nablus ( sometimes Nābulus; Arabic:; næːblʊs is a Palestinian city in the northern West Bank, approximately north of Jerusalem The Nablus Governorate ( محافظة نابلس) is an administrative district of the Palestinian National Authority located in the Central Highlands of the West The Shomron Regional Council (מועצה אזורית שומרון is a regional council in the northern Samarian hills also known as the northern part of the northern The Qalqilya Governorate ( محافظة قلقيلية) is an administrative area of the Palestinian National Authority in the northwestern West Bank. Qalqilyah ( Arabic قلقيلية Qalqīlyaḧ; Hebrew קַלְקִילִיָה) is a Palestinian city in the West Bank. The Salfit Governorate ( محافظة سلفيت) is one of 16 Governorates of the Palestinian National Authority. The city of Ariel (אֲרִיאֵל اريئيل is an Israeli settlement on the West Bank, in the Biblical region of Samaria near the ancient Ramallah ( Arabic:) (lit "Height of God" is a Palestinian city in the central West Bank adjacent to Al-Bireh with a population 118000 The Ramallah and al-Bireh Governorate ( محافظة رام الله و البيرة) is one of 16 Governorates of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Mateh Binyamin Regional Council (מועצה אזורית מטה בנימין is a regional council covering 42 Israeli settlements in the southern Samarian Modi'in Illit (מודיעין עילית lit Upper Modi'in) is an Israeli settlement and City in the foothills of the Judean Mountains, midway Jericho ( Arabic, ʼArīḥā; Hebrew, Standard Yəriḥo Tiberian Yərîḫô Bik'at HaYarden Regional Council (מועצה אזורית בקעת הירדן lit The Jericho Governorate ( محافظة أريحا) is one of 16 Governorates of the Palestinian National Authority (administrative districts within the Palestinian Ma'ale Adumim (מעלה אדומים is an Israeli Settlement and city located east of Jerusalem in the West Bank and on the edge of the Judean East Jerusalem refers to the part of Jerusalem captured by Jordan in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, and subsequently by Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War. The Jerusalem Governorate (محافظة القدس is one of 16 Palestinian governorates situated in the central portion of the West Bank. Beitar Illit (בֵּיתָר עִלִּית officially also spelled Betar Illit; "Illit" is pronounced "ee-leet" is an Israeli settlement and Bethlehem ( بيت لحم,, lit "House of Meat" Βηθλεέμ Bethleém בית לחם Beit Lehem, lit "House of Bread" is a The Gush Etzion Regional Council (מועצה אזורית גוש עציון is a regional council in the northern The Bethlehem Governorate ( محافظة بيت لحم) is one of 16 Governorates of the West Bank and Gaza Strip within the Palestinian Territories. Megilot Regional Council, also called Megilot Dead Sea Regional Council or Dead Sea (Megilot Regional Council (מועצה אזורית מגילות is a regional Hebron ( al-Ḫalīl or al-Khalīl, Standard Hebrew: Ḥevron Tiberian Hebrew: Ḥeḇrôn is the largest city in the West Bank, located in the south The Hebron Governorate ( محافظة الخليل) is an administrative district of the Palestinian National Authority in the southern West Bank. The Har Hebron Regional Council (מועצה אזורית הר חברון is an Israeli regional council in the southern Judean Hills are of Mount Hebron Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. This article refers to a District of Israel called Judea and Samaria A landlocked country is commonly defined as one enclosed or nearly enclosed by land This article is about the Jordan River and its valley in western Asia The Middle East is a Subcontinent with no clear boundaries often used as a synonym to Near East, in opposition to Far East. To the west, north, and south the West Bank shares borders with the mainland Israel. To the east, across the Jordan River, lies the country of Jordan. The West Bank also contains a significant coast line along the western bank of the Dead Sea. The Dead Sea (יָם הַ‏‏מֶ‏ּ‏לַ‏ח, "Sea of Salt"البَحْر المَيّت, "Dead Sea" is a salt lake between Since 1967 most of the West Bank has been under Israeli military occupation. Year 1967 ( MCMLXVII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. The are the territories captured by Israel from Egypt, Jordan, and Syria during the Six-Day War of 1967 consisting of the West

Prior to the First World War, the area now known as the West Bank was under Ottoman rule as part of the province of Syria. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish In the 1920 San Remo conference, the victorious Allied powers allocated the area to the British Mandate of Palestine. The San Remo Conference was an international meeting of the post- The Palestine Mandate, was a set of protocols or articles that formed a multilateral legal and administrative agreement The 1948 Arab-Israeli War saw the establishment of Israel in parts of the former Mandate, while the West Bank was captured and annexed by Jordan, who destroyed any existing Jewish villages. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. Annexation ( Latin ad, to and nexus, joining is the legal incorporation of some territory into another geo-political entity (either adjacent or non-contiguous Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan (الأردنّ al-Urdunn) is an Arab country in Southwest Asia spanning the southern The 1949 Armistice Agreements defined its interim boundary. The 1949 Armistice Agreements are a set of agreements signed during 1949 between Israel and its neighbors Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan From 1948 until 1967, the area was under Jordanian rule, and Jordan did not officially relinquish its claim to the area until 1988. The West Bank and East Jerusalem were occupied by Jordan (formerly Transjordan) for a period of nearly two decades (1948&ndash1967 starting Year 1988 ( MCMLXXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar) Jordan's claim was never recognized by the international community. The West Bank was captured by Israel ^[1][2] during the Six-Day War. Background Suez Crisis aftermath The Suez Crisis of 1956 represented a military defeat but a political victory for Egypt With the exception of East Jerusalem, the West Bank was not annexed by Israel. East Jerusalem refers to the part of Jerusalem captured by Jordan in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, and subsequently by Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. Most of the residents are Arabs, although a large number of Israeli settlements have been built in the region since 1967. The araB gene Promoter is a bacterial promoter activated by e L-arabinose binding Israeli settlements are communities inhabited by Israelis in territory that was captured as a result of Jordanian attacks during the 1967 Six-Day War.

Origin of the name

West Bank

The region did not have a separate existence until 1948–9, when it was defined by the Armistice Agreement between Israel and Jordan. The 1949 Armistice Agreements are a set of agreements signed during 1949 between Israel and its neighbors Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan The name "West Bank" was apparently first used by Jordanians at the time of their annexation of the region, and has become the most common name used in English and related languages. Annexation ( Latin ad, to and nexus, joining is the legal incorporation of some territory into another geo-political entity (either adjacent or non-contiguous English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States The term literally means 'the West bank of the river Jordan'; the Kingdom of Jordan being on the 'East bank' of this same river Jordan.

Cisjordan

The neo-Latin name Cisjordan or Cis-Jordan (literally "on this side of the [River] Jordan") is the usual name in the Romance languages and Hungarian. Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Palestine is a name which has been widely used since Roman times to refer to the region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River. The Romance languages (sometimes referred to as Romanic languages, or Neolatin languages) are a branch of the Indo-European language family comprising all The analogous Transjordan has historically been used to designate the region now comprising the state of Jordan which lies on the "other side" of the River Jordan. The Emirate of Transjordan ( Arabic: ar إمارة شرق الأردن) was a former Ottoman territory incorporated into the British Mandate of Palestine This article is about the Jordan River and its valley in western Asia In English, the name Cisjordan is also occasionally used to designate the entire region between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea, particularly in the historical context of the British Mandate and earlier times. This article is about the Jordan River and its valley in western Asia The use of Cisjordan to refer to the smaller region discussed in this article is rare in English; the name West Bank is standard usage for this geo-political entity. For the low-lying area immediately west of the Jordan, the name Jordan Valley is used instead.

Political terminology

Israelis refer to the region either as a unit: "The West Bank" (Hebrew: "ha-Gada ha-Ma'aravit" "הגדה המערבית"), or as two units: Judea and Samaria (Hebrew: "Yehuda" "יהודה", "Shomron" "שומרון"), after the two biblical kingdoms (the southern Kingdom of Judah and the northern Kingdom of Israel — the capital of which was, for a time, in the town of Samaria). This article refers to a District of Israel called Judea and Samaria Judea is a term used for the mountainous southern part of the historic Land of Israel. The Kingdom of Israel ( ( KJV Israel in Samaria) was one of the successor states to the older United Monarchy (also often called the 'Kingdom of Israel' The name Judea and Samaria has been in continual use by Jews as well as various others since biblical times. Etymology According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the word bible is from Latin biblia, traced from the same word through Medieval Latin and Late Latin

The Arab world and especially the Palestinians strongly object to the terms Judea and Samaria, the use of which they deem to reflect Israeli expansionist aims. Palestinian people or Palestinians ( الشعب الفلسطيني, ash-sha`b al-filasTīni; الفلسطينيون, al-filasTīnīyyūn Instead, they refer to the area as "the occupied West Bank of the Jordan River"[5], emphasizing that the area is under Israeli military control and jurisdiction (see "occupied Palestinian territories"). This article is about the Jordan River and its valley in western Asia The are the territories captured by Israel from Egypt, Jordan, and Syria during the Six-Day War of 1967 consisting of the West

History

Map of West Bank settlements and closures as of January 2006, prepared by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Yellow areas are the main Palestinian urban centers. Light pink represents closed military areas or settlement boundary areas or areas isolated by the Israeli West Bank Barrier; dark pink represents settlements, outposts or military bases. West bank walljpg|thumb|Aerial view looking east from the Israeli side The black line marks the route of the Barrier.

The territory now known as the West Bank was a part of the British Mandate of Palestine entrusted to the United Kingdom by the League of Nations after World War I. The Palestine Mandate, was a set of protocols or articles that formed a multilateral legal and administrative agreement The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The League of Nations was an International organization founded as a result of the Treaty of Versailles in 1919–1920 World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All The terms of the Mandate called for the creation in Palestine of a Jewish national home without prejudicing the civil and religious rights of the non-Jewish population of Palestine ^[3]. The current border of the West Bank was not a dividing line of any sort during the Mandate period, but rather the armistice line between the forces of the neighboring kingdom of Jordan and those of Israel at the close of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. The term Green Line is used to refer to the 1949 Armistice lines established between Israel and its neighbours ( Egypt, Jordan, The 1949 Armistice Agreements are a set of agreements signed during 1949 between Israel and its neighbors Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan When the United Nations General Assembly voted in 1947 to partition Palestine into a Jewish State, an Arab State, and an internationally-administered enclave of Jerusalem, a more broad region of the modern-day West Bank was assigned to the Arab State. The United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine or United Nations General Assembly Resolution 181 was a plan approved by the General Assembly on November 29 Corpus separatum is Latin for "separated body" The 1947 UN Partition Plan used this term to refer to a proposed internationally administered zone to include The West Bank was controlled by Iraqi and Jordanian forces at the end of the 1948 War and the area was annexed by Jordan in 1950 but this annexation was recognized only by the United Kingdom (Pakistan is often, but apparently falsely,^[4] assumed to have recognized it also). Pre-2003 History The first Iraqi military forces established by the British were the Iraq Levies several battalions of troops tasked to guard the Royal Air Force bases Royal Jordanian Land Force is part of the Jordanian Armed forces (JAF The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and

During the 1950s, there was a significant influx of Palestinian refugees and violence together with Israeli reprisal raids across the Green Line. Palestinian immigration refers to the movement of Palestinians into the territory of Israel Unit 101 was a Special forces unit of the Israeli Defence Force (IDF founded and commanded by Ariel Sharon on orders from Prime Minister

In May of 1967 Egypt ordered out U. N. peacekeeping troops and re-militarized the Sinai peninsula, and blockaded the straits of Tiran. The Sinai Peninsula or Sinai ( Coptic: sina; Egyptian Arabic: sina سينا Arabic, sina'a سيناء The Straits of Tiran ( Arabic: مضيق تيران Hebrew: מיצרי טיראן are the narrow sea passages about 13 km (8 miles wide between the Sinai Fearing an Egyptian attack, the government of Levi Eshkol attempted to restrict any confrontation to Egypt alone. (לֵוִי אֶשְׁכּוֹל born Levi Školnik (לֵוִי שׁקוֹלנִיק on 25 October 1895, died 26 February 1969) In particular it did whatever it could to avoid fighting Jordan. However, "carried along by a powerful current of Arab nationalism", on May 30, 1967 King Hussein flew to Egypt and signed a mutual defense treaty in which the two countries agreed to consider "any armed attack on either state or its forces as an attack on both". Hussein bin Talal King of Jordan (حسين بن طلال Ḥusayn bin Ṭalāl) ( November 14, 1935 – February 7, 1999) was ^[2][5] Fearing an imminent Egyptian attack, on June 5, the Israel Defense Forces launched a pre-emptive attack on Egypt^[6] which began what came to be known as the Six Day War. Background Suez Crisis aftermath The Suez Crisis of 1956 represented a military defeat but a political victory for Egypt

Jordan soon began shelling targets in west Jerusalem, Netanya, and the outskirts of Tel Aviv. Tel Aviv-Yafo (תֵּל ־אָבִיב-יָפוֹ تل أبيب Tal ʾAbīb) (usually Tel Aviv) is the second-largest city in Israel ^[7] Despite this, Israel sent a message promising not to initiate any action against Jordan if it stayed out of the war. Hussein replied that it was too late, "the die was cast". Alea iacta est (also seen as alea jacta est) is Latin for "The die ^[2] On the evening of June 5 the Israeli cabinet convened to decide what to do; Yigal Allon and Menahem Begin argued that this was an opportunity to take the Old City of Jerusalem, but Eshkol decided to defer any decision until Moshe Dayan and Yitzhak Rabin could be consulted. Yigal Allon (יגאל אלון born 10 October 1918, died 29 February 1980) was an Israeli politician a commander of the (מְנַחֵם בְּגִין Mieczysław Biegun Менахем Вольфович Бегин 16 August 1913 – 9 March 1992 was the sixth prime minister of the State of Israel The Old City (העיר העתיקה HaIr HaAtika, البلدة القديمة al-Balda al-Qadimah) is a 0 Moshe Dayan, DSO (משה דיין born 20 May 1915 died 16 October 1981 was an Israeli military leader and politician ^[8] Uzi Narkis made a number of proposals for military action, including the capture of Latrun, but the cabinet turned him down. Uzi Narkiss ( Jerusalem, 6 January 1925 - Jerusalem 17 December 1997) was an Israeli soldier and general who served as Latrun (اللطرون al-Latrun; לטרון is a strategic hilltop in the Ayalon Valley overlooking the road to Jerusalem. The Israeli military only commenced action after Government House was captured, which was seen as a threat to the security of Jerusalem. ^[9] On June 6 Dayan encircled the city, but, fearing damage to holy places and having to fight in built-up areas, he ordered his troops not to go in. However, upon hearing that the U. N. was about to declare a ceasefire, he changed his mind, and without cabinet clearance, decided to take the city. ^[10] After fierce fighting with Jordanian troops in and around the Jerusalem area, Israel captured the Old City on June 7. Events 1099 - The First Crusade: The Siege of Jerusalem begins

No specific decision had been made to capture any other territories controlled by Jordan. After the Old City was captured, Dayan told his troops to dig in to hold it. When an armored brigade commander entered the West Bank on his own initiative, and stated that he could see Jericho, Dayan ordered him back. Jericho ( Arabic, ʼArīḥā; Hebrew, Standard Yəriḥo Tiberian Yərîḫô However, when intelligence reports indicated that Hussein had withdrawn his forces across the Jordan river, Dayan ordered his troops to capture the West Bank. ^[11] Over the next two days, the IDF swiftly captured the rest of the West Bank and blew up the Abdullah and Hussein Bridges over the Jordan, thereby severing the West Bank from the East. ^[12] According to Narkis:

First, the Israeli government had no intention of capturing the West Bank. On the contrary, it was opposed to it. Second, there was not any provocation on the part of the IDF. Third, the rein was only loosened when a real threat to Jerusalem's security emerged. This is truly how things happened on June 5, although it is difficult to believe. The end result was something that no one had planned. ^[13]

The Arab League's Khartoum conference in September declared continuing belligerency and was seen as a rejection of negotiation. The Arab League ( الجامعة العربية) officially called the League of Arab States ( جامعة الدول العربية In November, 1967, UN Security Council Resolution 242 was unanimously adopted, calling for "the establishment of a just and lasting peace in the Middle East" to be achieved by "the application of both the following principles:" "Withdrawal of Israeli armed forces from territories occupied in the recent conflict" (see semantic dispute) and: "Termination of all claims or states of belligerency" and respect for the right of every state in the area to live in peace within secure and recognised boundaries. United Nations Security Council Resolution 242 (S/RES/242 was adopted unanimously by the UN Security Council on November 22, 1967 United Nations Security Council Resolution 242 (S/RES/242 was adopted unanimously by the UN Security Council on November 22, 1967 Egypt, Jordan, Israel and Lebanon entered into consultations with the UN Special representative over the implementation of 242. ^[14] The text specifically did not refer to the PLO or to any Palestinian representative because none was recognized at that time.

In 1988, Jordan ceded its claims to the West Bank to the Palestine Liberation Organization, as "the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people. The Palestine Liberation Organization ( PLO) (منظمة التحرير الفلسطينية or Munazzamat al-Tahrir al-Filastiniyyah) is a political and paramilitary " [6] [7]

Administration

The 1993 Oslo Accords declared the final status of the West Bank to be subject to a forthcoming settlement between Israel and the Palestinian leadership. Israeli-Palestinian conflict The Oslo Accords, officially called the Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements or Declaration of Principles For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. Following these interim accords, Israel withdrew its military rule from some parts of the West Bank, which was divided into three areas:

Area A comprises Palestinian towns, and some rural areas away from Israeli population centers in the north (between Jenin, Nablus, Tubas, and Tulkarm), the south (around Hebron), and one in the center south of Salfit. Jenin ( Arabic:; ג'נין a city in the West Bank 's Jenin Governorate, is a major Palestinian agricultural center Nablus ( sometimes Nābulus; Arabic:; næːblʊs is a Palestinian city in the northern West Bank, approximately north of Jerusalem Tubas is also the plural form of Tuba, a musical instrument Tubas ( طوباس, Tubâs) is a Palestinian Tulkarm or Tulkarem ( طولكرم Ṭūlkarm; טול כרם) is a Palestinian city in the Tulkarm Governorate in the Hebron ( al-Ḫalīl or al-Khalīl, Standard Hebrew: Ḥevron Tiberian Hebrew: Ḥeḇrôn is the largest city in the West Bank, located in the south Salfit (سلفيت סַלפִית also Salfeet, is a Palestinian town in the central West Bank. Area B adds other populated rural areas, many closer to the center of the West Bank. Area C contains all the Israeli settlements, roads used to access the settlements, buffer zones (near settlements, roads, strategic areas, and Israel), and almost all of the Jordan Valley and Judean Desert. Israeli settlements are communities inhabited by Israelis in territory that was captured as a result of Jordanian attacks during the 1967 Six-Day War. The Jordan Valley is a geographical region that forms part of the larger Jordan Rift Valley. Judea or Judæa ( Hebrew: יהודה Standard Yəhuda Tiberian Yəhûḏāh, "praised

Areas A and B are themselves divided among 227 separate areas (199 of which are smaller than 2 square kilometres (1 sq mi)) that are separated from one another by Israeli-controlled Area C. ^[16] Areas A, B, and C cross the 11 Governorates used as administrative divisions by the Palestinian National Authority and named after major cities. After the signing of the Oslo Accords, the Palestinian territories were divided into three areas (Area A Area B and Area C and 16 Governorates under the jurisdiction

While the vast majority of the Palestinian population lives in areas A and B, the vacant land available for construction in dozens of villages and towns across the West Bank is situated on the margins of the communities and defined as area C. ^[17]

The Palestinian Authority has full civil control in area A, area B is characterized by joint-administration between the PA and Israel, while area C is under full Israeli control. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. Israel maintains overall control over Israeli settlements, roads, water, airspace, "external" security and borders for the entire territory

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of the West Bank

Palestinian Children in Hebron

The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics estimated that approximately 2. Israeli settlements are communities inhabited by Israelis in territory that was captured as a result of Jordanian attacks during the 1967 Six-Day War. The Palestinian territories in this context are defined to include West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza strip. The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS (الجهاز المركزي للإحصاء الفلسطيني is the statistical organization and branch of the Interior Ministry 5 million Palestinians live in the West Bank (including Israeli-annexed East Jerusalem) at the end of 2006. Palestinian people or Palestinians ( الشعب الفلسطيني, ash-sha`b al-filasTīni; الفلسطينيون, al-filasTīnīyyūn East Jerusalem refers to the part of Jerusalem captured by Jordan in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, and subsequently by Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ^[18], though a recent study by the American-Israel Demographic Research Group disputes these figures (see #Recent Developments). In December 2007, an official Census conducted by the Palestinian Authority found that the Palestinian population of the West Bank (including Israeli-annexed East Jerusalem) was 2,345,000. East Jerusalem refers to the part of Jerusalem captured by Jordan in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, and subsequently by Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War. ^[19]

There are over 275,000 Israeli settlers living in the West Bank, as well as around 200,000 Israeli Jews living in Israeli-annexed East Jerusalem. Israeli settlements are communities inhabited by Israelis in territory that was captured as a result of Jordanian attacks during the 1967 Six-Day War. East Jerusalem refers to the part of Jerusalem captured by Jordan in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, and subsequently by Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War. There are also small ethnic groups, such as the Samaritans living in and around Nablus, numbering in the hundreds or low thousands. Nablus ( sometimes Nābulus; Arabic:; næːblʊs is a Palestinian city in the northern West Bank, approximately north of Jerusalem Interactions between the two societies have generally declined following the Palestinian Intifadas, though an economic relationship often exists between adjacent Israeli and Palestinian Arab villages. Palestinian people or Palestinians ( الشعب الفلسطيني, ash-sha`b al-filasTīni; الفلسطينيون, al-filasTīnīyyūn

As of October 2007, around 23,000 Palestinians in the West Bank work in Israel every day with another 9,200 working in Israeli settlements. October 2007 is the tenth month of that year It began on a Monday and 31 days later ended on a Wednesday. In addition, around 10,000 Palestinian traders from the West Bank are allowed to travel every day into Israel. ^[20]

Approximately 30% of Palestinians living in the West Bank are refugees or descendants of refugees from villages and towns located in what became Israel during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War (see Palestinian exodus). The 1948 Palestinian exodus (الهجرة الفلسطينية al-Hijra al-Filasteeniya) referred to by Palestinians as al Naqba (النكبة ^[21][22][23]

Recent Developments

A 2005 study concluded that the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) had overestimated the growth of the Palestinian population. The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS (الجهاز المركزي للإحصاء الفلسطيني is the statistical organization and branch of the Interior Ministry According to the study, successive PCBS projections were extrapolated from flawed 1997 census data that counted residents living abroad, double counted residents of Jerusalem, and overestimated birth rates and net migration rate. Crude birth rate is the natality or Childbirths per 1000 people per year Net migration rate is the difference of Immigrants and Emigrants of an area in a period of time divided (usually per 1000 inhabitants (considered on midterm population The study placed the Arab population of the West Bank at only 1. 41 Million, not including approximately 220,000 residents of East Jerusalem counted in Israel's census. The Israel Central Bureau of Statistics (הלשכה המרכזית לסטטיסטיקה HaLishka HaMerkazit LeStatistika) abbreviated CBS, is an Israeli ^[24] Sergio DellaPergola, a demographer at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, criticized the authors of the study for misunderstanding basic principles of demography and of making multiple methodological errors that invalidated the results. Sergio DellaPergola (born Trieste, Italy, September 7 1942) is Professor The Avraham Harman Institute of Contemporary Jewry Hebrew University The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (האוניברסיטה העברית בירושלים الجامعة العبرية في القدس abbreviated HUJI) is ^[25]

Significant population centers

The most densely populated part of the region is a mountainous spine, running north-south, where the Palestinian cities of Nablus, Ramallah, al-Bireh, Abu Dis, Bethlehem, Hebron and Yattah are located as well as the Israeli settlements of Ariel, Ma'ale Adumim and Betar Illit. al-Bireh or el-Bira (البيرة אָל בִּירֶה is a Palestinian city adjacent to Ramallah in the central West Bank, north of Beitar Illit (בֵּיתָר עִלִּית officially also spelled Betar Illit; "Illit" is pronounced "ee-leet" is an Israeli settlement and Bethlehem ( بيت لحم,, lit "House of Meat" Βηθλεέμ Bethleém בית לחם Beit Lehem, lit "House of Bread" is a Gush Etzion (גוש עציון literally bloc of Etzion) refers to a group of Jewish villages established from the 1920s south of Jerusalem on the northern part Hebron ( al-Ḫalīl or al-Khalīl, Standard Hebrew: Ḥevron Tiberian Hebrew: Ḥeḇrôn is the largest city in the West Bank, located in the south Jericho ( Arabic, ʼArīḥā; Hebrew, Standard Yəriḥo Tiberian Yərîḫô Jenin ( Arabic:; ג'נין a city in the West Bank 's Jenin Governorate, is a major Palestinian agricultural center Ma'ale Adumim (מעלה אדומים is an Israeli Settlement and city located east of Jerusalem in the West Bank and on the edge of the Judean Modi'in Illit (מודיעין עילית lit Upper Modi'in) is an Israeli settlement and City in the foothills of the Judean Mountains, midway Nablus ( sometimes Nābulus; Arabic:; næːblʊs is a Palestinian city in the northern West Bank, approximately north of Jerusalem Qalqilyah ( Arabic قلقيلية Qalqīlyaḧ; Hebrew קַלְקִילִיָה) is a Palestinian city in the West Bank. Ramallah ( Arabic:) (lit "Height of God" is a Palestinian city in the central West Bank adjacent to Al-Bireh with a population 118000 Tulkarm or Tulkarem ( طولكرم Ṭūlkarm; טול כרם) is a Palestinian city in the Tulkarm Governorate in the The following is a list of cities in Palestinian National Authority administrated areas, although depending on which particular area each locality is located Nablus ( sometimes Nābulus; Arabic:; næːblʊs is a Palestinian city in the northern West Bank, approximately north of Jerusalem Ramallah ( Arabic:) (lit "Height of God" is a Palestinian city in the central West Bank adjacent to Al-Bireh with a population 118000 al-Bireh or el-Bira (البيرة אָל בִּירֶה is a Palestinian city adjacent to Ramallah in the central West Bank, north of Abu Dis (ابو ديس is a Palestinian town in the Jerusalem Governorate, bordering Jerusalem. Bethlehem ( بيت لحم,, lit "House of Meat" Βηθλεέμ Bethleém בית לחם Beit Lehem, lit "House of Bread" is a Hebron ( al-Ḫalīl or al-Khalīl, Standard Hebrew: Ḥevron Tiberian Hebrew: Ḥeḇrôn is the largest city in the West Bank, located in the south Israeli settlements are communities inhabited by Israelis in territory that was captured as a result of Jordanian attacks during the 1967 Six-Day War. Ma'ale Adumim (מעלה אדומים is an Israeli Settlement and city located east of Jerusalem in the West Bank and on the edge of the Judean Beitar Illit (בֵּיתָר עִלִּית officially also spelled Betar Illit; "Illit" is pronounced "ee-leet" is an Israeli settlement and Ramallah, although relatively small in population compared to other major cities, serves as an economic and political center for the Palestinians. Jenin in the extreme north of the West Bank is on the southern edge of the Jezreel Valley. Jenin ( Arabic:; ג'נין a city in the West Bank 's Jenin Governorate, is a major Palestinian agricultural center The Jezreel Valley (עמק יזרעאל Emek Yizrael) is a large fertile plain and inland valley in the south of the Lower Galilee region of Israel Modi'in Illit, Qalqilyah and Tulkarm are in the low foothills adjacent to the Israeli Coastal Plain, and Jericho and Tubas are situated in the Jordan Valley, north of the Dead Sea. Modi'in Illit (מודיעין עילית lit Upper Modi'in) is an Israeli settlement and City in the foothills of the Judean Mountains, midway Qalqilyah ( Arabic قلقيلية Qalqīlyaḧ; Hebrew קַלְקִילִיָה) is a Palestinian city in the West Bank. Tulkarm or Tulkarem ( طولكرم Ṭūlkarm; טול כרם) is a Palestinian city in the Tulkarm Governorate in the The Israeli Coastal Plain (מישור החוף Mishor HaHof) is the narrow Coastal plain along Israel's Mediterranean Sea coast which houses 70% of Jericho ( Arabic, ʼArīḥā; Hebrew, Standard Yəriḥo Tiberian Yərîḫô Tubas is also the plural form of Tuba, a musical instrument Tubas ( طوباس, Tubâs) is a Palestinian The Dead Sea (יָם הַ‏‏מֶ‏ּ‏לַ‏ח, "Sea of Salt"البَحْر المَيّت, "Dead Sea" is a salt lake between

Transportation and communication

Roads

Checkpoint before entering Jericho, 2005. Jericho ( Arabic, ʼArīḥā; Hebrew, Standard Yəriḥo Tiberian Yərîḫô

The West Bank has 4,500 km (2,796 mi) of roads, of which 2,700 km (1,678 mi) are paved.

In response to shootings by Palestinians, some highways, especially those leading to Israeli settlements, are completely inaccessible to cars with Palestinian license plates, while many other roads are restricted only to public transportation and to Palestinians who have special permits from Israeli authorities [8][9] [10]. Israeli settlements are communities inhabited by Israelis in territory that was captured as a result of Jordanian attacks during the 1967 Six-Day War. Due to numerous shooting assaults targeting Israeli vehicles, the IDF bars Israelis from using most of the original roads in the West Bank. Assault is a Crime of Violence against another person. In some Jurisdictions including Australia and New Zealand, Terrorism is the systematic use of terror especially as a means of coercion The Israel Defense Forces ( IDF) (צְבָא הַהֲגָנָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, lit Israel's longstanding policy of separation-to-prevent-friction dictates the development of alternative highway systems for Israelis and Palestinian traffic.

Israel maintains about 500 checkpoints or roadblocks in the region. [11]. As such, movement restrictions are also placed on main roads traditionally used by Palestinians to travel between cities, and such restrictions have been blamed for poverty and economic depression in the West Bank [12]. Since the beginning of 2005, there has been some amelioration of these restrictions. According to recent human rights reports, "Israel has made efforts to improve transport contiguity for Palestinians travelling in the West Bank. It has done this by constructing underpasses and bridges (28 of which have been constructed and 16 of which are planned) that link Palestinian areas separated from each other by Israeli settlements and bypass roads" [13] and by removal of checkpoints and physical obstacles, or by not reacting to Palestinian removal or natural erosion of other obstacles. "The impact (of these actions) is most felt by the easing of movement between villages and between villages and the urban centres" [14].

However, the obstacles encircling major Palestinian urban hubs, particularly Nablus and Hebron, have remained. In addition, the IDF prohibits Israeli citizens from entering Palestinian-controlled land (Area A). The Israel Defense Forces ( IDF) (צְבָא הַהֲגָנָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, lit

As of August 2007, a divided highway is currently under construction that will pass through the West Bank. The highway has a concrete wall dividing the two sides, one designated for Israeli vehicles, the other for Palestinian. The wall is designed to allow Palestinians to freely pass north-south through Israeli-held land. ^[26]

Airports

The West Bank has three paved airports which are currently for military use only. Palestinians were previously able to use Israel's Ben Gurion International Airport with permission; however, Israel has discontinued issuing such permits, and Palestinians wishing to travel must cross the land border to either Jordan (via the Allenby Bridge) or Egypt in order to use airports located in these countries [15]. Ben Gurion International Airport (נמל התעופה בן גוריון Namal HaTe'ūfa Ben Gūryōn,, also referred to by its Hebrew acronym Natbag (נתב"ג Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan (الأردنّ al-Urdunn) is an Arab country in Southwest Asia spanning the southern This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics.

Telecom

As transportation between the Palestinian cities became very difficult, due to hundreds of Israeli military checkpoints on Palestinian roads, telephone and internet play more and more an important roll in the Palestinian daily life for communication.

The Israeli Bezeq and Palestinian PalTel Group telecommunication companies provide communication services in the West Bank. Bezeq (בזק is a Telecommunications provider in Israel. Until the mid-2000s when it was owned by the Israeli government Bezeq had a monopoly on Wireline The Palestinian mobile market was until 2007 monopolized by Jawwal. As the number of internet users is increasing rapidly (year 2005 160.000 users Numerous Palestine wide websites are growing to helping the Palestinians communicate and trade through the internet like:
News Agencies
Ma'an News
PNN
WAFA
Bethlehem News
Market
Sayarti for Used Cars in Palestine
Palestine Shop for Traditional Products
Tatreez for Palestinian Embroidery

Radio and television

The Palestinian Broadcasting Corporation broadcasts from an AM station in Ramallah on 675 kHz; numerous local privately owned stations are also in operation. The Palestinian Broadcasting Corporation ( Arabic: "هيئة الإذاعة و التلفزيون الفلسطينية" The (PBC was established December 1995 Most Palestinian households have a radio and TV, and satellite dishes for receiving international coverage are widespread. Recently, PalTel announced and has begun implementing an initiative to provide ADSL broadband internet service to all households and businesses.

Israel's cable television company 'HOT', satellite television provider (DBS) 'Yes', AM & FM radio broadcast stations and public television broadcast stations all operate. Hot is a Telecommunications and Cable television company in Israel founded on August 18, 2003. Direct broadcast satellite (DBS is a term used to refer to Satellite television broadcasts intended for home reception also referred to more broadly as direct-to-home yes (formally incorporated as DBS Satellite Services (1998 Ltd) founded in 1998 is the sole satellite television provider ( DBS) in Israel. Broadband internet service by Bezeq's ADSL and by the cable company are available as well.

Higher education

Before 1967 there were no universities in the West Bank (except for the Hebrew University in Jerusalem - see below). There were a few lesser institutions of higher education; for example, An-Najah, which started as an elementary school in 1918 and became a community college in 1963. An-Najah National University is a Palestinian non-governmental public university governed by a board of Trustees As the Jordanian government did not allow the establishment of such universities in the West Bank, Palestinians could obtain degrees only by travelling abroad to places such as Jordan, Lebanon, or Europe.

After the region was captured by Israel in the Six-Day War, several educational institutions began offering undergraduate courses, while others opened up as entirely new universities. Background Suez Crisis aftermath The Suez Crisis of 1956 represented a military defeat but a political victory for Egypt In total, seven Universities have been commissioned in the West Bank since 1967:

• Bethlehem University, a Roman Catholic institution partially funded by the Vatican, opened its doors in 1973 [16]. Bethlehem University in the Holy Land is a Catholic Christian co-educational institution of higher learning founded in 1973 in the Lasallian tradition The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Bishop of Rome, commonly known as the Pope, and is the preeminent Episcopal see of the Roman Catholic
• In 1975, Birzeit College (located in the town of Bir Zeit north of Ramallah) became Birzeit University after adding third- and fourth-year college-level programs [17]. Bir Zeit (بيرزيت is a Palestinian town on the outskirts of Ramallah in the central West Bank. Ramallah ( Arabic:) (lit "Height of God" is a Palestinian city in the central West Bank adjacent to Al-Bireh with a population 118000 Birzeit University ( BZU) (جامعة بيرزيت is a University located in the town of Birzeit near Ramallah.
• An-Najah College in Nablus likewise became An-Najah National University in 1977 [18]. Nablus ( sometimes Nābulus; Arabic:; næːblʊs is a Palestinian city in the northern West Bank, approximately north of Jerusalem An-Najah National University is a Palestinian non-governmental public university governed by a board of Trustees
• The Hebron University was established in 1980 [19]
• Al-Quds University, whose founders had yearned to establish a university in Jerusalem since the early days of Jordanian rule, finally realized their goal in 1995 [20]. Hebron University ( Arabic: جامعة الخليل Jaame'at al-Khali'yl) is one of the largest universities in the Palestinian territories. Al-Quds University ( جامعة القدس) is a Palestinian University in Jerusalem.
• Also in 1995, after the signing of the Oslo Accords, the Arab American University—the only private university in the West Bank—was founded right outside of Zababdeh, with the purpose of providing courses according to the American system of education [21]. Israeli-Palestinian conflict The Oslo Accords, officially called the Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements or Declaration of Principles Zababdeh (الزبابدة is a Palestinian town in the northern West Bank located 15km southeast of Jenin and 2km from the Arab American University Education in the United States is provided mainly by government with control and funding coming from three levels federal, state, and local.
• In 2005, the Israeli government recommended to upgrade the College of Judea and Samaria in Ariel to become a full fledged university [22]. The Ariel University Center of Samaria (המרכז האוניברסיטאי אריאל בשומרון HaMerkaz HaUniversitai Ariel BaShomron) is the largest Israeli The city of Ariel (אֲרִיאֵל اريئيل is an Israeli settlement on the West Bank, in the Biblical region of Samaria near the ancient This move to create a university within an Israeli settlement has angered some Palestinians, although no official response was made by the Palestinian authority. Israeli settlements are communities inhabited by Israelis in territory that was captured as a result of Jordanian attacks during the 1967 Six-Day War.
• The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, established in 1918, is one of Israel's oldest, largest, and most important institutes of higher learning and research. The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (האוניברסיטה העברית בירושלים الجامعة العبرية في القدس abbreviated HUJI) is During the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, the leader of the Palestinian forces in Jerusalem, Abdul Kader Husseini, threatened that the Hadassah Hospital and the Hebrew University would be captured or destroyed "if the Jews continued to use them as bases for attacks". Abd al-Qadir al-Husayni (عبد القادر الحسيني also spelled Abd al-Qader al-Husseini) (1907-1948 was a Palestinian nationalist and fighter who ^[27] Medical convoys between the Yishuv-controlled section of Jerusalem and Mount Scopus were attacked since December 1947. ^[28] After the Hadassah medical convoy massacre in 1948, which also included university staff, the Mount Scopus campus was cut off from the Jewish part of Jerusalem. The Hadassah medical convoy massacre took place on April 13, 1948, when a civilian convoy escorted by Haganah militia bringing medical and fortification After the War, the University was forced to relocate to a new campus in Givat Ram in western Jerusalem. After Israel captured East Jerusalem in the Six-Day War of June 1967, the University returned to its original campus in Mount Scopus. East Jerusalem refers to the part of Jerusalem captured by Jordan in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, and subsequently by Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War. Background Suez Crisis aftermath The Suez Crisis of 1956 represented a military defeat but a political victory for Egypt

Most universities in the West Bank have politically active student bodies, and elections of student council officers are normally along party affiliations. Although the establishment of the universities was initially allowed by the Israeli authorities, some were sporadically ordered closed by the Israeli Civil Administration during the 1970s and 1980s to prevent political activities and violence against the IDF. The Israel Defense Forces ( IDF) (צְבָא הַהֲגָנָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, lit Some universities remained closed by military order for extended periods during years immediately preceding and following the first Palestinian Intifada, but have largely remained open since the signing of the Oslo Accords despite the advent of the Al-Aqsa Intifada in 2000.

The founding of Palestinian universities has greatly increased education levels among the population in the West Bank. According to a Birzeit University study, the percentage of Palestinians choosing local universities as opposed to foreign institutions has been steadily increasing; as of 1997, 41% of Palestinians with bachelor degrees had obtained them from Palestinian institutions [23]. According to UNESCO, Palestinians are one of the most highly educated groups in the Middle East "despite often difficult circumstances" [24]. The literacy rate among Palestinians in the West Bank (and Gaza) (89%) is third highest in the region after Israel (95%) and Jordan (90%) [25][26] [27].

Status

See also: Political status of the West Bank and Gaza Strip

Legal status

The West Bank is currently considered under international law to be, de jure, a territory not part of any state. The political status of the West Bank and Gaza Strip is one of the most violently disputed issues in the Arab-Israeli conflict. International law is the term commonly used for referring to the system of implicit and explicit agreements that bind together nation-states in adherence to recognized values and standards Types of administrative and/or political territories include Many types of legally administered territories, each of which is a non-sovereign geographic area A state is a political association with effective Sovereignty over a geographic Area and representing a Population. The United Nations Security Council,^[29] the United Nations General Assembly,^[30] the International Court of Justice,^[31] and the International Committee of the Red Cross^[32] refer to it as occupied by Israel. Membership For two articles dealing with membership in the General Assembly see General Assembly members See also International Commission of Jurists The International Court of Justice (known colloquially as the World Court or ICJ; Cour "ICRC" redirects here For other uses see ICRC (disambiguation. The are the territories captured by Israel from Egypt, Jordan, and Syria during the Six-Day War of 1967 consisting of the West

According to Alan Dowty, legally the status of the West Bank falls under the international law of belligerent occupation, as distinguished from nonbelligerent occupation that follows an armistice. Alan Dowty is Senior Associate for Middle East Studies at the Joan B This assumes the possibility of renewed fighting, and affords the occupier "broad leeway". The West Bank has a unique status in two respects; first, there is no precedent for a belligerent occupation lasting for more than a brief period, and second, that the West Bank was not part of a sovereign country before occupation — thus, in legal terms, there is no "reversioner" for the West Bank. This means that sovereignty of the West Bank is currently suspended, and, according to some, Israel, as the only successor state to the Palestine Mandate, has a status that "goes beyond that of military occupier alone. "^[33]

The current status arises from the facts (see above reference) that Great Britain surrendered its mandate in 1948 and Jordan relinquished its claim in 1988. Since the area has never in modern times been an independent state, there is no "legitimate" claimant to the area other than the present occupier, which currently happens to be Israel.

Political positions

The future status of the West Bank, together with the Gaza Strip on the Mediterranean shore, has been the subject of negotiation between the Palestinians and Israelis, although the current Road Map for Peace, proposed by the "Quartet" comprising the United States, Russia, the European Union, and the United Nations, envisions an independent Palestinian state in these territories living side by side with Israel (see also proposals for a Palestinian state). The Gaza Strip (قطاع غزة, רצועת עזה Retzu'at 'Azza) is a coastal strip of land along the Mediterranean Sea, bordering Egypt on the south-west The "road map" for peace is a Plan to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict proposed by a " quartet " of international entities the The Quartet on the Middle East, sometimes called the Diplomatic Quartet or Madrid Quartet or simply the Quartet, is a foursome of nations and International The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. Proposals for a Palestinian state (دولة فلسطين refer to the proposed establishment of an independent state for the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, which is currently However, the "Road Map" states that in the first phase, Palestinians must end all terror and attacks on Israel, whereas Israel must dismantle outposts. Since neither condition has been met since the Road Map was "accepted," by all sides, final negotiations have not yet begun on major political differences.

The Palestinian Authority believes that the West Bank ought to be a part of their sovereign nation, and that the presence of Israeli military control is a violation of their right to Palestinian Authority rule. A nation is a Human Cultural and Social Community. In as much as most members never meet each other yet feel a common bond it may be considered The United Nations calls the West Bank and Gaza Strip Israeli-occupied (see Israeli-occupied territories). The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security The are the territories captured by Israel from Egypt, Jordan, and Syria during the Six-Day War of 1967 consisting of the West The United States State Department also refers to the territories as occupied. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the ^[34][35][36] Many Israelis and their supporters prefer the term disputed territories, because they claim part of the territory for themselves, and state the land has not, in 2000 years, been sovereign. This is a list of extant Territorial disputes around the world

Israel argues that its presence is justified because:

1. Israel's eastern border has never been defined by anyone;
2. The disputed territories have not been part of any state (Jordanian annexation was never officially recognized) since the time of the Ottoman Empire;
3. According to the Camp David Accords (1978) with Egypt, the 1994 agreement with Jordan and the Oslo Accords with the PLO, the final status of the territories would be fixed only when there was a permanent agreement between Israel and the Palestinians. The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish The Camp David Accords were signed by Egyptian President Anwar El Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin on September 17, This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan (الأردنّ al-Urdunn) is an Arab country in Southwest Asia spanning the southern Israeli-Palestinian conflict The Oslo Accords, officially called the Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements or Declaration of Principles The Palestine Liberation Organization ( PLO) (منظمة التحرير الفلسطينية or Munazzamat al-Tahrir al-Filastiniyyah) is a political and paramilitary

Palestinian public opinion opposes Israeli military and settler presence on the West Bank as a violation of their right to statehood and sovereignty. ^[37] Israeli opinion is split into a number of views:

• Complete or partial withdrawal from the West Bank in hopes of peaceful coexistence in separate states (sometimes called the "land for peace" position); (According to a 2003 poll 76% of Israelis support a peace agreement based on that principle). Land for peace is a general principle proposed for resolving the Arab-Israeli conflict by which the State of Israel would relinquish control of all or part ^[38]
• Maintenance of a military presence in the West Bank to reduce Palestinian terrorism by deterrence or by armed intervention, while relinquishing some degree of political control;
• Annexation of the West Bank while considering the Palestinian population as (for instance) citizens of Jordan with Israeli residence permit as per the Elon Peace Plan;
• Annexation of the West Bank and assimilation of the Palestinian population to fully fledged Israeli citizens;
• Transfer of the East Jerusalem Palestinian population (a 2002 poll at the height of the Al Aqsa intifada found 46% of Israelis favoring Palestinian transfer of Jerusalem residents;^[39] in 2005 two polls using a different methodology put the number at approximately 30%). Palestinian political violence or Palestinian terrorism refers to acts of violence committed for political reasons by Palestinians Palestinian groups that support Annexation ( Latin ad, to and nexus, joining is the legal incorporation of some territory into another geo-political entity (either adjacent or non-contiguous The Elon Peace Plan (now "The Israeli Initiative", formerly "The Right Road to Peace") is a solution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict Population transfer is the movement of a large group of people from one region to another by state policy or international authority most frequently on the basis of ethnicity or religion ^[40]

Annexation

Principal geographical features of Israel and south-eastern Mediterranean region

Israel annexed the territory of East Jerusalem, and its Palestinian residents (if they should decline Israeli citizenship) have legal permanent residency status. East Jerusalem refers to the part of Jerusalem captured by Jordan in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, and subsequently by Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War. Permanent residency refers to a person's visa status the person is allowed to reside indefinitely within a country despite not having Citizenship. ^[41][42] Although permanent residents are permitted, if they wish, to receive Israeli citizenship if they meet certain conditions including swearing allegiance to the State and renouncing any other citizenship, most Palestinians did not apply for Israeli citizenship for political reasons. ^[43] There are various possible reasons as to why the West Bank had not been annexed to Israel after its capture in 1967. Background Suez Crisis aftermath The Suez Crisis of 1956 represented a military defeat but a political victory for Egypt The government of Israel has not formally confirmed an official reason, however, historians and analysts have established a variety of such, most of them demographic. Among the most agreed upon:

• Reluctance to award its citizenship to an overwhelming number of a potentially hostile population whose allies were sworn to the destruction of Israel ^[44][45][46]
• Fear that the population of non-Zionist Arabs would outnumber the Israelis, appeal to different political interests, and vote Israel out of existence; thus failing to maintain the concept and safety of a Jewish state ^[47][48]
• To ultimately exchange land for peace with neighbouring states^[44][45]

Settlements and International Law

Main article: Israeli settlement#Legal status of the settlements

Israeli settlements on the West Bank beyond the Green Line border are considered by some legal scholars to be illegal under international law. History of Zionism|Timeline of Zionism|World Zionist Organization|Zionist political violence Zionism is an international political movement that originally supported the The terms " Jewish state " and " homeland of the Jewish people " are used to describe the State of Israel and refer to its status as a Nation-state Land for peace is a general principle proposed for resolving the Arab-Israeli conflict by which the State of Israel would relinquish control of all or part Israeli settlements are communities inhabited by Israelis in territory that was captured as a result of Jordanian attacks during the 1967 Six-Day War. ^{[49][50][51][52]} Other legal scholars^[53] including Julius Stone,^[54] have argued that the settlements are legal under international law, on a number of different grounds. Julius Stone ( 7 July 1907 &ndash 1985 was Challis Professor of Jurisprudence and International Law at the University of Sydney from The Independent reported in March 2006 that immediately after the 1967 war Theodor Meron, legal counsel of Israel's Foreign Ministry advised Israeli ministers in a "top secret" memo that any policy of building settlements across occupied territories violated international law and would "contravene the explicit provisions of the Fourth Geneva Convention". Theodor Meron (b 28 April, 1930) was the president of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY until 2005 and was a judge ^[55][56] A contrasting opinion was held by Eugene Rostow, a former Dean of the Yale Law School and undersecretary of state for political affairs in the administration of U. Eugene V (Victor Debs Rostow ( August 25, 1913 &ndash November 25, 2002) influential legal scholar and public servant was Dean of Yale S. President Lyndon Johnson, who wrote in 1991 that Israel has a right to have settlements in the West Bank under 1967's UN Security Council Resolution 242. ^[57] It is the policy of both Israel and the United States that the settlements do not violate international law, although the United States considers ongoing settlement activity to be "unhelpful" to the peace process. The European Union^[58] and the Arab League^[59] consider the settlements to be illegal. Israel also recognizes that some small settlements are "illegal" in the sense of being in violation of Israeli law. ^[60][61]

In 2005 the United States ambassador to Israel, Dan Kurtzer, expressed U. S. support "for the retention by Israel of major Israeli population centres [in the West Bank] as an outcome of negotiations",^[62] reflecting President Bush's statement a year earlier that a permanent peace treaty would have to reflect "demographic realities" on the West Bank. ^[63]

The UN Security Council has issued several non-binding resolutions addressing the issue of the settlements. Typical of these is UN Security Council resolution 446 which states [the] practices of Israel in establishing settlements in the Palestinian and other Arab territories occupied since 1967 have no legal validity, and it calls on Israel as the occupying Power, to abide scrupulously by the 1949 Fourth Geneva Convention. ^[64]

The Conference of High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention held in Geneva on 5 December, 2001 called upon "the Occupying Power to fully and effectively respect the Fourth Geneva Convention in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and to refrain from perpetrating any violation of the Convention. Events 63 BC - Cicero reads the last of his Catiline Orations. " The High Contracting Parties reaffirmed "the illegality of the settlements in the said territories and of the extension thereof. "^[65]

On December 30, 2007, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert issued an order requiring approval by both the Israeli Prime Minister and Israeli Defense Minister of all settlement activities (including planning) in the West Bank. Events 1460 - Wars of the Roses: Battle of Wakefield. 1816 - The Treaty of St Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. The Prime Minister of Israel is the head of the Israeli government and is the most powerful political officer in Israel (the President of Israel being a titular figurehead Ehud Olmert (אהוד אולמרט ɛˈhud ˈolmeʁt born September 30, 1945) is the 12th and current Prime Minister of Israel and the former leader ^[66]

West Bank barrier

Panoramic view toward Tel Aviv from the Settlement Peduel in the west bank, the Green line passes less than 20 km (12 mi) from central Tel Aviv

Main article: Israeli West Bank barrier

The Israeli West Bank barrier is a physical barrier being constructed by Israel consisting of a network of fences with vehicle-barrier trenches surrounded by an on average 60 metres (197 ft) wide exclusion area (90%) and up to 8 metres (26 ft) high concrete walls (10%) (although in most areas the wall is not nearly that high). Peduel ( פדואל) is an Israeli settlement located on the western edge of the central Samarian region of the West Bank, about 25 km Tel Aviv-Yafo (תֵּל ־אָבִיב-יָפוֹ تل أبيب Tal ʾAbīb) (usually Tel Aviv) is the second-largest city in Israel West bank walljpg|thumb|Aerial view looking east from the Israeli side West bank walljpg|thumb|Aerial view looking east from the Israeli side The term separation barrier is a Euphemism for walls or fences constructed to limit the movement of people across a certain line or Border, or to separate two populations For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. ^[67] It is located mainly within the West Bank, partly along the 1949 Armistice line, or "Green Line" between the West Bank and Israel. The 1949 Armistice Agreements are a set of agreements signed during 1949 between Israel and its neighbors Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan The term Green Line is used to refer to the 1949 Armistice lines established between Israel and its neighbours ( Egypt, Jordan, As of April 2006 the length of the barrier as approved by the Israeli government is 703 kilometers (436 miles) long. Approximately 58. 4% has been constructed, 8. 96% is under construction, and construction has not yet begun on 33% of the barrier. ^[68] The space between the barrier and the green line is a closed military zone known as the Seam Zone, cutting off 8. Seam Zone is a term used to refer to a land area in the West Bank located east of the Green Line and west of Israel 's separation barrier. 5% of the West Bank and encompassing tens of villages and tens of thousands of Palestinians. ^[69]. ^[70]

The barrier is a very controversial project. Supporters claim the barrier is a necessary tool protecting Israeli civilians from the Palestinian attacks that increased significantly during the al-Aqsa Intifada;^[71][72] it has helped reduce incidents of terrorism by 90% from 2002 to 2005; over a 96% reduction in terror attacks in the six years ending in 2007^[73], though Israel's State Comptroller has acknowledged that most of the suicide bombers crossed into Israel through existing checkpoints [28]. Its supporters claim that the onus is now on the Palestinian Authority to fight terrorism. ^[74]

Opponents claim the barrier is an illegal attempt to annex Palestinian land under the guise of security,^[75] violates international law,^[76] has the intent or effect to pre-empt final status negotiations,^[77] and severely restricts Palestinians who live nearby, particularly their ability to travel freely within the West Bank and to access work in Israel, thereby undermining their economy. ^[78] According to a 2007 World Bank report, the Israeli occupation of the West Bank has destroyed the Palestinian economy, in violation of the 2005 Agreement on Movement and Access. The World Bank is an internationally supported Bank that provides financial and technical assistance to developing countries for development programs (e All major roads (with a total length of 700 km) are basically off-limits to Palestinians, making it impossible to do normal business. Economic recovery would reduce Palestinian dependence on international aid by one billion dollars per year. ^[79]

Pro-settler opponents claim that the barrier is a sly attempt to artificially create a border that excludes the settlers, creating "facts on the ground" that justify the mass dismantlement of hundreds of settlements and displacement of over 100,000 Jews from the land they claim as their biblical homeland. ^[80]

Notes

References

• Albin, Cecilia (2001). Justice and Fairness in International Negotiation. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-79725-X
• Bamberger, David (1985, 1994). A Young Person's History of Israel. Behrman House. ISBN 0-87441-393-1
• Dowty, Alan (2001). The Jewish State: A Century Later. University of California Press. ISBN 0520229118
• Oren, Michael (2002). Michael B Oren (born in 1955) is an American - Israeli scholar historian author and IDF military officer best known for his best-selling and Six Days of War, Oxford University Press. ISBN 0195151747
• Gibney, Mark and Frankowski, Stanislaw (1999). Judicial Protection of Human Rights. Praeger/Greenwood. ISBN 0-275-96011-0
• Playfair, Emma (Ed. ) (1992). International Law and the Administration of Occupied Territories. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-825297-8
• Shlaim, Avi (2000). Avi Shlaim (born October 31, 1945 in Baghdad, Iraq) is an Israeli British dual citizen and historian and identifies The Iron Wall: Israel and the Arab World, W. W. Norton & Company. ISBN 0393048160
• Howell, Mark (2007). What Did We Do to Deserve This? Palestinian Life under Occupation in the West Bank, Garnet Publishing. ISBN 1859641954

See also

• Rule of the West Bank and East Jerusalem by Jordan
• Economy of the West Bank
• Geography of the West Bank
• Second Intifada
  • Israeli West Bank barrier
  • West Bank Closures

External links

• West Bank from the CIA World Factbook
• Palestine Facts & Info from Palestinian Academic Society for the Study of International Affairs
• The Legal Status of Palestine Under International Law (Supports Palestinian claims), a publication by Birzeit University. The West Bank and East Jerusalem were occupied by Jordan (formerly Transjordan) for a period of nearly two decades (1948&ndash1967 starting The Palestinian economy refers to the economy of the Palestinian territories, including the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza strip. Geography of the Best Wank Location Middle East west of Jordan Geographic coordinates: Map references Middle East West bank walljpg|thumb|Aerial view looking east from the Israeli side The West Bank closure system is a series of obstacles including permanent and partially manned checkpoints concrete roadblocks and barriers metal gates earthmounds tunnels The World Factbook ( ISSN; also known as the CIA World Factbook) is an annual publication of the Central Intelligence Agency of the Birzeit University ( BZU) (جامعة بيرزيت is a University located in the town of Birzeit near Ramallah.
• United Nations - Question of Palestine
• Disputed Territories: Forgotten Facts about the West Bank and Gaza Strip - from the Israeli government
• The Westbank Dispute Analysis from ProCon
• Large map of West Bank (1992)
• MOVING UP: An Aliyah Journal, the new book, is an upbeat account about Aliyah and life in Israel.
• A series of geopolitical maps of the West Bank
• "American Thinker" opinion article which disputes some of the data in this article
• 1988 "Address to the Nation" by King Hussein of Jordan Ceding Jordanian Claims to the West Bank to the PLO
• Camden Abu Dis Friendship Association - establishing links between the North London Borough of Camden and the town of Abu Dis in the West Bank