13. Tackle Illegal Outposts

There are over 200 Israeli settlements, outposts, and farms in the West Bank that are illegal under Israeli law. Not only do these illegal communities and structures make reaching a viable two-state outcome more difficult given their intentional placement in spots that inhibit Palestinian contiguity, they present a severe challenge to Israeli rule of law and the ability of the Israeli state to govern. A disproportionate amount of violence committed by settlers against Palestinians also emanate from illegal outposts, which are populated by ideological nationalists and sometimes contain known extremists.

The U.S. should focus its dialogue with the Israeli government on combating the spread of illegal outposts given the implications for U.S. policy and the tensions that they exacerbate, and the Israeli government should act to dismantle illegal outposts and prevent the establishment of new ones. The U.S. should also make clear that the retroactive legalization of illegal settlements and outposts will introduce unprecedented tension into the U.S.-Israel relationship.