Data
• After the Disengagement which took place during the summer of 2005, there are still 121 official settlements throughout the West Bank
• The built-up area of the settlements consists of less than 3% of the area of the West Bank, but the area which they officially dominate (municipal jurisdiction) constitutes over 40%
• There are 102 unauthorized outposts
• At least 50 outposts were established after Ariel Sharon became Prime Minister
• Today, 250,000 settlers live in the West Bank (not counting those living beyond the Green Line in East Jerusalem, who account for an additional 190,000)
• Approx. 2.5 million Palestinians reside in the West Bank today
• 60% of the area of the West Bank is under Israeli control (C area)
• Together, areas A + B consist of different levels of Palestinian autonomy, comprising 40% of the West Bank
• Based upon the present route approved by the Israeli government, 8.6% of the West Bank might find itself west of the barrier
• If the barrier is constructed along the route approved by the Israeli government in March 2006, approx. 60,000 settlers will find themselves east of the route of the fence.
• The length of the presently planned barrier will be more than 700 kms, instead of the 300 kms it would have been had it been constructed along the Green Line.

Population
The growth of the Israeli population residing in settlements in the West Bank has, during the past few years (2001-2005), stood at an annual rate of approx. 5.5%.  This is a very high rate which stemmed from high rates of birth as well as from a continuous emigration of Israeli population from its sovereign area within Israel to the settlements.  For comparison’s sake, the comprehensive annual rate of growth within the Israeli population during those years stood at approx. 1.8%.  It should be pointed out that during the 1990’s, until 2000, the rate of growth in the settlement population was much higher and stood at an annual rate of 7-9%.  The relative decrease during the past few years in the growth rate was mainly the result of a decrease in the number of Israelis moving into the settlements.  For more information on this matter - click here. 

Nevertheless, it should be pointed out that even today, 90% of the population in the West Bank is Palestinian.

Construction in the settlements
According to data received from the Central Bureau of Statistics (in Hebrew), construction on 1688 residential units in the settlements began during 2005.  Construction on 572 of these began during the first quarter of 2005.  In comparison, construction was begun on 413 residential units during the first quarter of 2006.  It is still too early to say whether the decrease in the rate of construction will affect the total number of residential units that will start to be constructed in the settlements during 2006.

Outposts
Since 1996, no government has officially decided upon the establishment of a new settlement on the West Bank.  In order to continue to occupy additional land in the West Bank, the settlement leadership, with the close assistance of very senior elements within the government, decided to establish outposts, intent upon establishing faits accomplis in the field and taking control of new areas.  Most of the outposts have been established in key points in the midst of Palestinian population centers, and deep into the West Bank, thereby attempting to create territorial continuity between the existing settlements and breaking up the contiguity existing between the Palestinian townships.  Thus, the settlers are trying to thwart the possibility of the existence of a contiguous Palestinian state on the West Bank.

The issue of the outposts occasionally appears on the national and international agenda.  It has received special attention as part of the demands of the Israeli Cabinet in the Road Map.  President George W. Bush mentions the subject every time the issue of the settlements arises, and in his speech to the U.S. General Assembly, over a year ago, he even reiterated the demand that the outposts be evacuated.

Further to local and international criticism re the ongoing construction and expansion of the outposts, Prime Minister Sharon was compelled to appoint report to prepare a comprehensive report on this issue.  On 8 March 2005, after months of intensive work, Talia Sasson submitted her report to the Prime Minister, concluding:  “The method for establishing the outposts mainly consists of a way of circumventing procedures and violating the law, presenting an even-handed stand to some of the State authorities, while, at the same time, constituting the cooperation in a blatant disregard of the law by other authorities.”

Settlement blocs
At every opportunity, Prime Minister Olmert mentions that one of the goals of the Convergence Plan is to allow the State of Israel to expand construction in the settlement blocs in order to ensure that they remain within Israeli sovereignty.
The use of the concept of “settlement blocs” makes it possible for the Government of Israel to expand the settlements which have been determined to be part of “the blocs”, and to turn the dream of a continuous Palestinian State unattainable.

Following are a number of the main settlement blocs:

The Ma’ale Adumim – E1 bloc
Ma’ale Adumim is located in the West Bank and is, therefore, a settlement in every sense of the word.  In fact, Ma’ale Adumim is the largest settlement in the West Bank, and is one of the three settlements in the West Bank that have been accorded the municipal standing of a city (along with Beitar Illit and Ariel).
The continuing expansion of Ma’ale Adumim is basically eastward.  That is, in the direction of the industrial zone of Mishor Adumim.  The plan to build in area E-1 is, in fact, a plan to build a new settlement out of nothing that will be completely separated from Ma’ale Adumim by Highway 1, which links Jerusalem with the Dead Sea and Jericho.  E-1 is short for East 1, the administrative nickname given to the area which, for the most part, is open land, situated east of Jerusalem and west of the Ma’ale Adumim settlement.
Construction in E-1 will deal a blow to the political solution that is based upon the principle of two states for two nations.  Such construction will block the narrow strip of 3-4 kms which lies between Jerusalem and Ma’ale Adumim.  This strip is crucial to maintaining minimal physical continuity between the northern and southern areas of the West Bank.  Building in that area will intensify splitting the West Bank into two separate areas:  that which is north of Jerusalem and that which is south of Jerusalem.  In addition, carrying out the construction planned in E-1 will also increase Palestinian East Jerusalem’s isolation from the rest of the West Bank.
The expansion of Ma’ale Adumim is, as is the expansion of any other settlement, a unilateral step that undermines the efforts to renew negotiations towards settling the conflict.

Settlement bloc north of Jerusalem
The settlement bloc north of Jerusalem contains neighborhoods such as Ramot, Pisgat Ze'ev and Neve Ya’akov, which were constructed within the municipal area of the city (as established by Israel in 1967), as well as settlements which were constructed on land which had not been annexed.  This bloc includes the settlements of Giv’at Ze'ev, Giv’on, Beit Horon, constructed along Highway 443, which links Jerusalem with the coastal plain.

The Ariel bloc
The settlement of Ariel is situated in the heart of the West Bank along a mountain ridge which runs east-west for more than 5 kms.  The settlement lies upon a long and narrow strip along the ridge.  The western edge of the settlement, the one closer to Israel, is located at a distance of some 16 kms from the Green Line, and its eastern edge, at more than 21 kms from the Green Line.  Ariel lies at a distance of some 40 kms from Tel Aviv, 50 kms from Jerusalem, and 28 kms from the Jordanian border.
The term “Ariel bloc” usually refers to the area of the West Bank that is bordered by the eastern edge of Ariel to the East, the settlements of Kedumim to the north, the settlements of Karnei Shomron and Ma’ale Shomron to the northwest, and by the settlements of Beit Arieh and Ofarim to the south.  This “bloc” also contains many other settlements, such as:  Nofim, Yakir, Immanuel, Peduel, Alei Zahav, Barqan, Kiryat Netafim and Revava.  In addition, the region includes at least seven (7) illegal outposts which have been established during the past eight (8) years.
In view of Ariel’s location in the heart of the West Bank and its control over the main transportation arteries in the region, its official or de facto annexation (by being included within the boundaries of the fence) will fatally harm the contiguity of the area which is meant to be the heartbeat of the future Palestinian state.  The annexation of the “Ariel bloc” will harm the normal existence of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians residing within the bloc and its surroundings.  It will restrict travel and access to land and water resources which are vial to Palestinian economy.

Gush Etzion
This is the Jewish settlement area in the Hebron Hills, between Jerusalem and Hebron.  The name was taken from Kfar Etzion, which was the main population center in the bloc before the establishment of the State, comprised of four small settlements.  The area of the Gush Etzion Regional Council has been redesigned over the past decades, and today, it also includes settlements which are not situated in the region populated by Gush Etzion prior to 1948, for example:  Efrata, Bat Ayin, Karmei Tzur, Migdal Oz, Neve Daniel and Rosh Tsurim, Teko’a, Nokdim and Kedar.
According to a government decision, the goal is that the fence will make it possible to annex the settlements in western Gush Etzion, including the settlements of Efrata and Migdal Oz, as part of Israel.  Constructing the fence along this route will sever the connection between Bethlehem and Hebron, as well as cause serious harm to thousands of Palestinians residing in the Palestinian villages located west of Route 60 (Hosan, Batir, Nahalin, Wadi Fukin).
Most of the construction which is being carried out in areas where the fence might annex [lands] is taking place in the western part of the area dominated by the Gush Etzion Regional Council.

The Fence
In June 2002, the Government of Israel decided to establish the separation fence, with the declared goal of preventing the uncontrolled entry of Palestinians from the West Bank into Israel.  In effect, the reference was to a barrier which, in most areas, consists of an electronic barrier where ditches are dug and barbed wire fences are erected on both sides of paved roads.  The average width of the barrier is approx. 60 meters.  In some areas, a six-eight meter high wall has been constructed instead of the fence.
For the most part, the route of the fence enters the West Bank and does not follow along the Green Line.  In areas where the construction of the barrier has already been completed, the extensive harm done to the Palestinians residing in its proximity is evident, since they are unable to move freely and enjoy their proprietary rights in the areas which have remained west of the fence’s route.  Continuing to build the barrier deep into the West Bank, as per the government’s decision in March 2006, will lead to the further violation of human rights of hundred of thousands of residents.
The Palestinians residing in the proximity of the fence’s route are already suffering from serious new restrictions upon their movements, which have been added to the extensive restrictions already imposed upon them since the outbreak of the El-Aksa Intifada.  As a result, thousands of Palestinians find it difficult to reach the agricultural lands they own and to market their produce in the rest of the area of the West Bank.  Much of the area upon which the fence has been erected is some of the most fertile land in the West Bank and agriculture is one of the main sources of income for the villages/towns in the area, if not the only one.  The damage caused to the agriculture is leading to a substantial worsening of the already severe economic situation in the area, and many families have sunk into a life of poverty.
It seems that at the stage which the present Israeli-Palestinian conflict has arrived, the construction of the barrier is a necessity.  However, Peace Now believes that it should only be erected along the Green Line, or in as close proximity as possible, and avoid annexing parts of the West Bank..