The terrorism and violent protests that have plagued Israel nearly every day since September 14th of this year has drawn the attention of the world. But not to pressure the Palestinian leadership to get their people under control and bring an end to the violence. Instead, world leaders repeatedly condemn Israel for causing Palestinian anger by allowing settlements in the West Bank.
One of the most popular claims made by those who are critical of Israel is that under international law, Israel is an illegal occupier of the West Bank. But as you can see in this video, international law says no such thing.
Our position, and the position of many pro-Israel Christians and Jews, is that Israel has every right to build homes in the West Bank “settlements” because 1) it is their biblical inheritance and 2) that land was legitimately acquired by a war of self-defense which is just as legitimate as how almost every other nation on earth acquired their territory.
But there are many Israelis and pro-Israel people who believe the settlements make peace harder to achieve. Many Israelis believe their right to the land is not as important as saving the lives of their children, and it’s hard to argue that point.
Regardless, there is absolutely no excuse for using settlements as a justification for terror. And suggesting that settlements are the main obstacle to peace is an outright denial of the historical facts. Would there be peace without settlements? The answer is NO.
