Palestine weekly wrap: Israeli settlers rampage through West Bank villages

“We are building the Land of Israel and destroying the idea of a Palestinian state,” said Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on Friday. The action that brought on his comments: Israel’s uprooting of 3,000 Palestinian-planted trees in the occupied West Bank. The destruction of the trees – so that illegal Israeli settlements can expand – was one of a number of Israeli actions this week that emphasised Israel’s continued push to expand its dominance over the West Bank. And it comes as Israel maintains its violent posture in Gaza – killing at least 13 Palestinians there, with a particular focus on police officers. Recommended Stories list of 3 items end of list The Oslo bill On Sunday, the Israeli Knesset Ministerial Committee backed a bill that would formally repeal the 1993 Oslo Accords – the cornerstone agreement that created the Palestinian Authority and divided the West Bank into Areas A, B and C. Limor Son Har-Melech, the far-right parliamentarian who submitted the legislation, was explicit about the intent: “We promised to prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state, and now it is time to encourage settlement in Areas A and B [with full and partial Palestinian administrative control respectively] and cancel the disastrous Oslo Accords.” According to Israeli media reports, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu requested that parliament postpone discussions of the bill. …