Original article: “Despojo con sello estatal”: Comunidad Palestina de Chile condena a Israel por acelerar la anexión de facto en Cisjordania
«This decision does not constitute an isolated administrative act, but rather a deliberate policy aimed at consolidating changes in an occupied territory, openly challenging international law and the consensus of the international community,» condemned the Palestinian Community of Chile.
In a public statement, the Palestinian Community of Chile condemned the recent decision by the Israeli government to register extensive areas of West Bank as «state property.»
This measure, approved by the Israeli cabinet this Sunday and promoted by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, has been labeled by the community—one of the largest outside the Arab world—as a “territorial dispossession” that violates international law and directly threatens the familial and property ties of thousands of Chileans of Palestinian descent.
The Israeli government approved a proposal to resume land registration in the West Bank, a bureaucratic process that had been frozen since 1967 when the Zionist regime occupied the territory during the Six-Day War. The initiative, driven by Smotrich along with Justice Minister Yariv Levin and Defense Minister Israel Katz, will declare extensive areas of Zone C—about 60% of the West Bank—as state-owned Israeli land.
According to sources, the Executive justifies the decision as a response to what they consider «illegal settlement procedures» promoted by the Palestinian Authority in this area, which remains under Israel’s exclusive administrative and security control.
However, human rights organizations and international analysts have warned that this represents an unprecedented step toward de facto annexation.
Palestinian Community in Chile Denounces Territorial Dispossession
In light of this escalation, the Palestinian Community of Chile issued a statement accessed by this outlet, expressing their strongest rejection and warning about the profound consequences this decision has for the thousands of descendants of Palestinians living in our country.
«The Palestinian community of Chile firmly condemns this new step taken by the Israeli government toward advancing the de facto annexation of the West Bank through the designation of extensive areas as state property,» the statement reads.
The declaration emphasizes that this is not a minor or merely administrative act, but rather a deliberate policy by the Zionist regime aimed at provoking changes in an occupied territory.
«This decision does not constitute an isolated administrative act, but a deliberate policy aimed at consolidating changes in an occupied territory, openly challenging international law and the consensus of the international community. We warn that formalizing this state registration violates fundamental principles that prohibit the acquisition of territory by force. This escalation not only erodes the international legal framework and the viability of the two-state solution, but also represents a direct blow to regional stability and the human rights of the Palestinian people.»
From the community, emphasis was placed on the fact that the connection to the land is not merely symbolic, as Chile hosts the largest Palestinian community outside the Arab world, estimated at around 500,000 people, whose ancestors emigrated from the late 19th century, mainly from the cities of Bethlehem, Beit Jala, and Beit Sahour.
«For the Palestinian community in Chile, the largest outside the Arab world, these measures have a profound impact. Thousands of Chileans of Palestinian descent maintain familial and property ties with the West Bank, especially with the cities of Beit Jala, Bethlehem, and Beit Sahour. Each advance in annexation translates into dispossession of their lands and a direct threat to their identity and security,» the letter adds.
Call for Chile to Continue Supporting the Two-State Solution
In the face of this situation, the Palestinian Community of Chile not only expressed its condemnation but also made an explicit call to the State to maintain a firm stance consistent with its diplomatic tradition in the Middle East.
«In light of this grave situation, we reaffirm that Chile must continue its traditional policy regarding Palestine: uphold the two-state solution, defend international legality, and reject occupation,» demands the statement.
The text concludes with a warning about the global implications of legitimizing such actions through silence.
«What is at stake is the credibility of the norms governing international relations. Validating or remaining silent in the face of this territorial dispossession constitutes a historical responsibility regarding the systematic erosion of the rights of a people. Acting coherently in response to the gravity of these events is essential to defend the inalienable right of the Palestinian people to exist in their own land,» the community indicated.
The Fine Print of Occupation
The approved land registration is not a simple inventory. As explained to EFE by Alon Cohen Lifshitz of the Israeli NGO Bimkom, specializing in human rights and land management, the measure involves a qualitative change in the status of the land. «They are moving towards confining the population into small ghettos,» he indicated.
The mechanism involves creating a Property Title Registration Administration under the Israeli Ministry of Justice, which will operate in the West Bank. This transfers land management from a military framework to a civil-administrative one, treating the occupied territory with parameters similar to those of Israel proper.
Michal Braier, also a researcher at Bimkom, detailed the legal maze that Palestinians will face. «Palestinian landowners must turn to Israeli bureaucracy and prove that the land is genuinely theirs,» she stated, representing an exceedingly high legal barrier, often unattainable for families holding documents issued by Jordanian or Ottoman authorities prior to 1967.
The Israeli government has already allocated a budget of 244.1 million shekels (approximately 70 million dollars) for the next five years with the goal of regularizing at least 15% of that territory.
Justice Minister Yariv Levin celebrated the decision with a statement that leaves no doubt about Tel Aviv’s intentions.
«The approved proposal constitutes a true revolution (…) The Land of Israel belongs to the people of Israel. The Government of Israel is committed to strengthening its control over all its parts,» he said.
Condemnation from the International Community
The Palestinian and international reactions were immediate. The President of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, denounced the initiative as “a de facto annexation of the occupied Palestinian territory” and warned that it represents “a threat to security and stability, and a dangerous escalation and a flagrant violation of international law and international legitimacy resolutions.”
In a similar vein, the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) described the decision as an attempt to “steal and Judaize” Palestinian territories.
In a statement released by the newspaper ‘Filastín’, the group considered the measure as “null and void issued by an illegitimate occupying power,” asserting that “the resistance of the Palestinian people” will not allow Israel’s attempts at “annexation, Judaization, and displacement.”
Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General António Guterres urged Israel to “immediately revoke” this cadastral reform. His spokesman, Stéphane Dujarric, asserted that “such measures, including Israel’s continued presence in the occupied Palestinian territory, are not only destabilizing but, as the International Court of Justice has reminded, illegal,” warning that this dynamic “erodes the prospect of a two-state solution.”
The European Union also demanded the revocation of the process, describing it as “a new escalation,” and reiterated that “annexation is illegal under international law.” Furthermore, Arab countries such as Jordan, Egypt, Qatar, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia issued statements of condemnation.
