That is incredibly disappointing. And I think a lot of Israelis are also opposed to it. The settlements are emblematic of a deep split in Israeli culture. The

That is incredibly disappointing. And I think a lot of Israelis are also opposed to it. The settlements are emblematic of a deep split in Israeli culture. The right wing, which currently runs the government, is strongly in favor of them. The left wing considers them illegal under international law, and believes it makes it harder to establish the two-state solution that most people see as the only eventual peaceful outcome. Although Gaza, run by Hamas, has been a constant source of attacks against Israel, the West Bank has been pretty peaceful -- at least from the Palestinians. Violence has come largely from Israeli settlers. The current government is widely disliked, and there's a very good chance it will lose the next election. But that's not until 2026, which is a very long time for the current situation to fester. And each settlement that gets built is a thorn in the side of any attempt to find a solution -- the settlers will complain bitterly about being moved. That is, of course, the point of this statement. It sounds as if the international community is trying to force a two-state solution along the 1967 borders. The government wants to make that harder by establishing de facto Israeli territory outside those borders.