1. United States
2. Maine
3. Letter

Israel’s cabinet secretly approved 34 new settlements in the West Bank, a record expansion passed during the war. This would raise the total number of approved settlements from 69 to 103. The decision was kept classified to avoid U.S. pressure. The IDF raised manpower concerns and suggested a phased rollout, but was overruled. Some settlements will be built inside Palestinian enclaves, and—under a secret clause—water and electricity infrastructure could begin even before land legalization. Israeli settlements are illegal, dangerous, and done with US government backing. They only make peace in the Middle East harder. I urge you to work with your colleagues to pressure Israel to stop these as they only create war and drive terrorism.