Israeli Farms Expand Rapidly in West Bank, Reshaping Land Control

The Hebrew year 5786 (ending in September 2026) will be remembered for a significant surge in the establishment of Israeli agricultural farms, particularly in the West Bank, according to opinion writer Arie Eldad. These farms, often referred to as 'outposts' or 'shepherd's farms,' have rapidly occupied vast tracts of land, altering the dynamics of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict over territory.

While the establishment of Jewish settlements in the West Bank has been ongoing since the Six-Day War in 1967, resulting in around 150 recognized settlements occupying approximately half a million dunams, the current wave of farms represents a new, accelerated phase. These farms, often consisting of a simple structure, a few dozen sheep, and volunteer youth, have sprung up in arid and desolate areas. Over 150 such farms have been established in recent years, particularly in the last year under the current Israeli government.

Eldad argues that these farms are a more effective and less costly method for Israel to assert control over land compared to establishing new, formal settlements. The farms have managed to claim over a million dunams, double the area occupied by the established settlements over six decades. The majority of these farms receive state approval and support through infrastructure development and funding under the "Grazing Law," which allocates budgets based on the number of livestock and the area they cover.

Approximately 15% of these farms are located in Area B, which, under the Oslo Accords, is under Palestinian civil control. While the state does not officially support these, their founders hope that Israel's tacit acceptance of Arab land encroachment in Area C will extend to Jewish settlement in Area B. Eldad suggests this expansion could effectively nullify the Oslo Accords.

Left-wing Israeli organizations, such as Peace Now, actively monitor and oppose this expansion, documenting what they describe as "expulsion" and "ethnic cleansing" when Bedouin communities attempting to settle on state land are displaced by Jewish "shepherd communities." Eldad contends that these farms are being unfairly portrayed as sources of violence and incitement by those seeking to establish a Palestinian state in the heart of the West Bank.