The hill where the idea of ​​a Palestinian state could fail

The hill where the idea of ​​a Palestinian state could fail

Jabal al-Baba, West Bank – In a Palestinian village overlooking Jerusalem, Atallah Mazara’a reflects on his long-held dream. His Bedouin village of Jabal al-Baba lies at the geographical center of the occupied West Bank, between the northern and southern parts of a future Palestinian state. But with each passing day this dream seems to grow further into the distance.

The threat posed by Israel's settlement policy

Far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich last week announced final approval for the construction of thousands of new apartments to expand the Israeli settlement of Ma'ale Adumim. This project would Cut West Bank into two parts – a plan known as E1.

The impact on the Palestinian population

Smotrich made it clear that his goal was to destroy the prospect of a Palestinian state. He said: “The Palestinian state will not be wiped out with slogans, but with actions.” The minister intends to confiscate this territory to prevent the creation of a Palestinian state. "Our fate is uncertain, not just mine, but that of every child, every woman, every individual. I am afraid," Mazara'a, the head of the village committee, told CNN.

According to the Jerusalem Governorate of the Palestinian Authority, about 7,000 Palestinians in 22 Bedouin communities are at risk of forced relocation threatened by the E1 plan.

Life in Jabal al-Baba

Jabal al-Baba is one of these communities, home to 80 families, a total of 450 Palestinians. The village is home to approximately 3,000 animals, which are fundamental to the Bedouin herders' way of life. As Mazara'a walks through the houses that could be demolished at any time, he points to the neighboring Jewish settlement of Ma'ale Adumim and says: "The Bedouin presence in this land complements and enriches nature, in contrast to the presence of settlements."

Israel captured the West Bank in the 1967 war against Jordan and then began building Jewish settlements there, which are considered illegal under international law and the United Nations and much of the international community. The UN considers the West Bank and East Jerusalem to be occupied territory that the Palestinians seek for a future state. Many view the settlements as the biggest obstacle to Palestinian statehood, as many Jewish communities expand around Palestinian population centers, often on privately owned Palestinian land.

The fight for the rights of the Bedouins

“These families have been here since forever, since before 1967,” says Mazara’a. "They were here before the settlements were built. As a Bedouin, it is important for me to stay in this area. It is not up to Israel to dictate my life for me in another area."

Efforts to crush the prospects for a Palestinian state are an open goal of Bezalel Smotrich and other members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's cabinet. He has long advocated the expansion of Jewish settlements. In one leaked audio recording from June 2024, Smotrich stated that the way to prevent a Palestinian state that could endanger Israel was to develop Jewish settlements. “The goal is to change the DNA of this system over many, many years.”

The future of the Bedouins and the influence of Israeli politics

After US President Donald Trump's victory in the elections, Smotrich was in charge of preparations for the annexation of settlements in the West Bank. He told the Knesset that Trump's victory "brings an important opportunity for the State of Israel." The “only way to eliminate the threat of a Palestinian state,” Smotrich said, “is to apply Israeli sovereignty over all settlements in Judea and Samaria,” the biblical term Israel uses to describe the West Bank.

Just south of the village lies the bustling Palestinian town of Al-Eizariya, which borders East Jerusalem. It is a dynamic community with honking car horns and busy streets that serve its commercial needs. Some of the Bedouins who are resettled would have to move to the city. Mohammad Mattar, a city government official, said this would be a completely different world for the Bedouins, in an uncertain environment where they could neither earn a living nor graze their animals.

In connection with the construction of the E1 settlement, Israel also planned a road that would run directly through Al-Eizariya and create separate routes for Israelis and Palestinians around the settlement, according to Peace Now, an organization that closely tracks settlement expansion.

The reactions to the forced resettlements

When CNN visited the city, Mattar reported 112 demolition orders issued to store owners, with the deadline for eviction having already expired. In hushed conversations, anxious Palestinians wondered whether there was any news about what would happen next. Some had already decided to cut their losses and had closed their businesses as soon as the orders were given, with no prospect of compensation. Others, who had experienced such threats before, chose to stay.

“They are waiting for God’s intervention or government intervention to stop this project,” Mattar said.

Al-Eizariya is considered a “food basket” for the city of Jerusalem, residents reported. It has the largest shopping market in the West Bank, connecting the north with the south. If Israel's planned road is built, they will have to look elsewhere for their needs, making it more difficult and expensive. The shop owners fear that their savings will be used up.

Hopes for US intervention

"I have invested all my money here. If they destroy everything, I will have nothing left to do. I am 65 years old. I hope they won't do this," said Abdullah, who runs supermarkets and a restaurant in the area, as he held back tears. “We hope that (US) President (Donald) Trump will get involved and stop this.”

During Trump's first term, his administration laid out a vision that became known as "The Deal of the Century." Trump's plan vaguely mentioned parts of East Jerusalem as the capital of a Palestinian state. But since taking office again, Trump has barely spoken of this long-dormant plan.

The fight for peace and the resolution of the conflict

Hagit Ofran is an Israeli peace activist and co-director of Settlement Watch at Peace Now. It monitors Israeli settlements and has spoken out against Israel's occupation of the West Bank for decades. "Israel's nearly two-year offensive in Gaza has made it difficult to focus people's attention on the West Bank," she told CNN.

"We are fighting to end the war in Gaza and end the occupation in the West Bank. It's a crazy world here," she added. Noting the construction of the road to facilitate movement for residents of the E1 settlement, Ofran explained that this will effectively close the center of the West Bank to Palestinians and control their movement. Palestinian homes would be demolished and communities isolated.

The long-term perspective for the Palestinians

"I don't know how they will have access to the areas they normally reach. It depends on the goodwill of this government, which has shown no goodwill to Palestinians," she said. "They cannot develop a viable economy, let alone a state. It will be impossible to have a capital in East Jerusalem for Palestinians."

For some Palestinians, the recent final approval of the E1 settlement has not erased the idea of ​​a Palestinian state, as Israel has long done so by creating facts on the ground. “If you look at the settlements that are everywhere now, it is impossible to establish a Palestinian state with geographical continuity,” said Khalil Toufakji, a Palestinian cartographer who has monitored Israeli settlements since 1983.

He noted that while this move marks the end of a Palestinian future, its demise has long been confirmed. “The (Israeli government) took advantage of the events of October 7 and President Trump to implement its plans.”

Back up on the hill, under a large tree in the afternoon wind, Mazara’a looks out at his village, unsure whether it will still be his home tomorrow. "It's not just about my life; it's about my memories and my childhood. I know every corner of this area," he said. “Jabal al-Baba is not only the end of the dreams of the Bedouins who live here, but also the end of every Palestinian dream of a state in the future.”