Report on Israeli Settlement in the Occupied Territories

Negotiations have resumed to resolve the “core issues” of the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians--borders and settlements, Palestinian refugees, and the status and territorial division of Jerusalem.

“If the day comes when the two‑state solution collapses, and we face a South African‑style struggle for equal voting rights . . . then, as soon as that happens, the State of Israel is finished.”

There are more than 100 unauthorized settlements--termed “outposts”-- in the West Bank. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon promised U.S. president George W. Bush to evacuate all outposts established after March 2001. The government of Israel, however, has not taken such action.