Planning in Palestine

On June 29, the Israeli Defense Ministry approved the construction of fifty new homes in the West Bank settlement of Adam as part of a plan for 1,450 additional housing units. Reuters also reported Israel's plan to expropriate approximately 54 square miles of the West Bank for additional settlement purposes (http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSTRE55S1SP20090629).

Regardless of your personal view of who's right and who's wrong in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, as Israel whittles away an already tiny land area (Israel is approximately 7,992 square miles, of that, the West Bank accounts for approximately 2,177 square miles and the Gaza Strip is approximately 139 square miles), Israel confounds any solution for peace and any holistic planning effort in the Palestinian territories. Central to planning is improving the welfare of people, creating "more convenient, equitable, healthful, efficient, and attractive places for present and future generations" (APA), yet Israel's continuing denial of Palestinian rights, encroachment and fragmentation the Palestinian territories, and blatant refusal to recognize international laws is little recognized as a planning issue. As planners, we must condemn Israel's approach as a violation of international law, a human rights tragedy, and as the antithesis of planning.