West Bank Palestinians face home demolitions and land loss, but have no voice in Israel's October 27 election
Palestinians in the West Bank say settlement expansion and demolitions are tightening their lives, while they cannot vote in the October 27 election that will decide Israel's government.
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Ordinary life in the West Bank has become harder because of the conflict between Israel and Hamas. The high-handedness of Israeli soldiers and Israeli settlers there is growing day by day, and a sense of neglect is deepening among Palestinian residents of the West Bank.
Expansion of settlements, demolition of Palestinian homes, seizure of farmland and harassment through obstruction of everyday movement have made life harder still. Despite this, Palestinians have neither representation nor any effective political space in the election due on October 27. The residents are voicing their anguish over this.
According to members of the Bedouin community of Jabal al-Baba in the West Bank, the Israeli administration has come to control almost every aspect of their daily lives. In building homes, getting water, using roads, farming and travelling from one town to another, they face numerous obstacles.
People of the area say such inhumane Israeli policies will have a damaging effect on their lives and future. Yet they cannot take part in the process of choosing a government. On the other hand, Jewish residents of Israeli settlements in the West Bank have the right to vote in Israel's national election. This makes the difference in the political rights of the two communities even more visible.
The spread of Israeli settlements in the West Bank has become a major worry for Palestinians. The E-1 project near Jerusalem, in particular, has raised the threat of displacement for several Bedouin communities. There are also fears that the project could break the geographical contiguity of the West Bank.
It is alleged that obtaining permission to build homes is extremely difficult for Palestinians. Many homes are acted against for lack of permission. Residents also point to the contradiction that construction of Israeli settlements is being promoted in the same area.
The world is watching who will form the government in Israel after the October 27 election. But Palestinians do not believe the result will bring any significant change to their situation. They say there is no fundamental difference between the policies of Israel's ruling and opposition parties on the settlement issue. The question, therefore, is whether the coming election will become a ray of hope for Palestinians or their political neglect will continue.
