The United States ambassador to Israel was characterized by his firm support for settlements and his rejection of a Palestinian state. However, the Trump administration also took measures that raise caution among some settlement supporters. Israel's capture of the West Bank in 1967, along with East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip, has been a topic of conflict. Israel opposes granting citizenship to Palestinians from the West Bank for fear that it would affect Israel's Jewish character.
Settlement defenders anticipate unrestricted expansion during the Trump administration and under an Israeli government where leaders and supporters of settlements hold key positions. They see President Trump as an ally who will allow them to strengthen their presence in the West Bank through the construction of housing, roads, and industrial zones. Israel Ganz, president of the Yesha Council, a settler lobby group, expressed his confidence that with Trump it will be easier to advance their interests.
During the early years of the Trump administration, the expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank has been steady, with over half a million Israelis living in about 130 settlements and numerous unauthorized outposts. The normalization agreements between Israel and Arab countries mediated by Trump prevented the annexation of the West Bank. However, settlement defenders are optimistic that Trump's history of support will translate into Israeli annexation of the West Bank.
In the current political scenario, uncertainty looms over the positions Trump will take regarding Israeli annexation. Some settlement defenders go further and advocate for the resettlement of Gaza during the Trump administration. Rhetoric around sovereignty in Judea and Samaria, as the West Bank is known in the Bible, has increased, generating international controversy.
The proliferation of settlements and the infrastructure that supports them have been hallmarks of the Trump administration, whose pro-Israel stance has strengthened the position of settlement defenders. Despite the Biden administration's moves to sanction settlers suspected of inciting violence against Palestinians, settlement supporters believe that Trump's policy has been more favorable to their interests. Despite potential international pressures, segments of the Israeli government maintain their support for the expansion of settlements and the annexation of disputed territories.
