Human rights activist discusses Israel’s plans for new settlements in Hebron

Good morning, welcome to Radioactivity. I’m Rob Lorei.

Earlier this month Israel’s new defense minister ordered plans to build new settler housing in the volatile West Bank city of Hebron.

Israel’s pro-settler Defense Minister Naftali Bennett called for “planning processes to be advanced” for new Jewish settler housing.

Enlarging the Jewish population in Hebron is likely to deepen tensions there.

Hebron is the largest Palestinian city in the West Bank. It is also a constant flashpoint for violence, where a few hundred Jewish settlers live in heavily secured enclaves among tens of thousands of Palestinians.

Bennett’s letter comes weeks after the U.S. declared it no longer considers Israel’s West Bank settlements to be a violation of international law.

Our guest is an American who lives and works in Hebron. He is Cody O’Rourke who grew up in Michigan. He is now part of the Good Shepherd Collective which is an organization that fights for human rights in Palestine and Israel.

FMI https://goodshepherdcollective.org/