The Jewish National Fund (JNF) council is expected to approve a new policy on Sunday that will allow the organization to officially purchase land in the West Bank for the potential expansion of Israeli settlements there, according to a draft resolution I obtained.
Why it matters: A non-governmental organization founded in 1901 to buy land for Jews to settle in Ottoman Palestine, JNF today owns 15% of all land in Israel. This major policy change could channel hundreds of millions of dollars into the expansion of West Bank settlements, which are considered illegal under international law.
The change occurs when the Biden administration begins to reverse Trump’s policies to legitimize settlements.
- It was driven by pressure from the Israeli settlement lobby, which set a goal of increasing the population of Jewish settlers in “area C” – 60% of the West Bank that is completely controlled by Israel – to one million, from about 400,000 today.
The background story: Since 1967, the JNF has refrained from direct involvement in land purchases in the West Bank, in part due to objections from American donors.
- For many years, the JNF was controlled by the center-left Labor Party, but since October it has been headed by a pro-colonization right-wing politician.
- Right-wing parties have managed to take over most leadership positions in Zionist organizations like the JNF, which are an important source of funding and political nominations for Israel’s political parties.
Details: According to the draft resolution, JNF will operate in the West Bank to develop settlements through projects, education, forestry and environmental protection.
- The resolutions emphasize that the JNF will only buy private land owned by Palestinians, which will be used to expand existing settlements, not build new ones.
- JNF will not buy land in areas A and B – the 40% of the West Bank that is wholly or partly controlled by the Palestinian Authority.
- The land to be acquired must be within the jurisdiction of an existing settlement or immediately adjacent to it.
- Foreign donations will only be used to purchase land in the West Bank if the transactions are legal under the law of the donor’s country.
- The resolution includes a list of priority areas for land purchase, including the Jordan Valley and other areas in the West Bank.
Between the lines: Due to their political and diplomatic sensibilities, JNF leaders tried to keep this movement under the radar. A printed copy of the draft resolution was handed over to the council members, who were asked to keep it discreet, sources familiar with the matter told me.
- Worthless: In recent years, JNF operated to a limited extent in the West Bank through a sister company.
- JNF said in a statement: “Over the years, we have worked everywhere in Israel, including Judea and Samaria. Sunday’s meeting aims to approve the policy’s principles based on a legal opinion we obtained. At this stage, we have no intention of establishing a new development area in Judea and Samaria. “
What is the next: Representatives of the center-left parties on the JNF council are trying to block the resolution.
- They claim that this major policy change is inappropriate during an election campaign and could create tensions with the new Biden government.