Columbia International Affairs Online: Policy Briefs

CIAO DATE: 10/2012

On the Brink: Israeli settlements and their impact on Palestinians in the Jordan Valley

Lara El-Jazairi, Fionna Smyth, MarwaEl-Ansary

July 2012

Oxfam Publishing

Abstract

The Jordan Valley, in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, has the potential to be the breadbasket of any future Palestinian state. However, the persistent expansion of Israeli settlements and other restrictions on Palestinian development have made life extremely difficult for Palestinian communities. New plans to increase the land, water, and infrastructure available to Israeli settlements will further aggravate this already serious situation. Unless the international community takes action to reverse Israeli government policies and practices, the prospects for the future establishment of a viable Palestinian state, living side by side with Israel in peace and security, look dangerously remote.