(Translated from Hebrew and reprinted in the Commentary/Analysis section of APN's News Nosh on September 1, 2014)

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Now of all times, when a political initiative is needed, when Hamas is trying to portray itself as the savior of the Palestinian people, when Abbas was forced to deal with harsh criticism for not battling enough against Israel - now of all times, Netanyahu decides to declare 4,000 dunams (nearly 1000 acres) in Gush Etzion as state land. How will Abbas explain to his people the disregard and aggression of the Netanyahu government towards him? While Abbas tried to moderate and calm the area, Netanyahu humiliates him in front of his people.

According to international law, the decision to make land state land requires the sovereign to designate the land for the benefit of the general population in the area. It's no secret that when it comes to the Territories, the only ones to benefit from state land are settlers.

The Palestinians have no chance of getting a single dunam. The Palestinians, by the way, were prepared for construction in the settlement blocs, but only after negotiating for three months in which a final-status agreement would be made, negotiations after which each party will be able to build in areas that will be defined as belonging to it. A declaration so significant about turning such a large swathe of land into (Israeli) state land is not remembered since the Eighties, and proves once again that despite the political interests of the State of Israel to rebuild the relationship with the world and to strengthen the moderates on the Palestinian side, the settler lobby is stronger and Netanyahu's will to satisfy its appetite grows. Because of (such) moves, Mahmoud Abbas' motivation to break off contact with Israel, to turn to join international organizations and to force Israel to freeze settlement construction and withdraw from the Territories will grow.

The whole of Israeli society will pay the price for the arrogance and the construction.