Israel began increasing its spending on settlements in Judea and Samaria following the election of U.S. President Donald Trump, according to official data obtained by The Associated Press.
Both supporters and detractors of the settlement movement have previously referred to a "Trump effect," claiming the president's friendlier approach to the settlements is leading to additional settlement construction.
While the new Israeli figures obtained in a freedom of information request do not prove a direct connection, they indicate this process may already be underway, showing a 39% increase in 2017 spending on roads, schools and public buildings across Judea and Samaria
Hagit Ofran, a researcher with Peace Now, said it appears that Trump's election has emboldened Israel's pro-settler government.
"They are not shy anymore with what they are doing," she said. "They feel more free to do whatever they want."
Nabil Abu Rdeneh, spokesman for Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, offered even sharper criticism. "This proves that the current U.S. administration encouraged settlement activities," he said.
For decades, the international community and the U.S. have expressed concern over the settlements. But since taking office, Trump has taken a different approach. The White House has urged restraint but refrained from the blanket condemnations of its Republican and Democratic predecessors.
"The Trump administration is undoubtedly the most friendly American administration of all time," said Oded Revivi, the chief foreign envoy of the Council of Jewish Communities in Judea and Samaria (Yesha). "In contrast, the Obama years were extremely hard for Israel. Now we are making up for lost ground."
The government statistics, released by the Finance Ministry, show that in 2017, Trump's first year in office, Israeli spending in Judea and Samaria rose to 1.65 billion shekels, or $459.8 million, compared to 1.19 billion shekels ($332.4 million) in 2016.
The 2017 figures were the highest in the 15 years of data provided by the Finance Ministry, though spending also climbed in 2016, when then- President Barack Obama, a vocal critic of the settlements, was a lame duck, and his relations with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu were cool.
In contrast, the lowest year of Israeli spending was 2009, when both Netanyahu and Obama took office, when it was 760.7 million shekels. The data included only the first half of 2018, so full-year comparisons were not available.
The figures include only government spending, so construction and purchases of private homes are not included. Israel also does not include items like police, education, health and military spending, saying such services are provided to all Israelis regardless of where they live.
In addition, spending in east Jerusalem is excluded.
But even with these caveats, the data provide a valuable snapshot of Israel's priorities. The figures include spending on public construction projects, such as roads, schools, social centers, synagogues, shopping malls and industrial parks. They also include special development grants for local governments and mortgage subsidies.
The areas with the strongest growth in 2017 were in school construction, which jumped 68%, and road construction, which rose 54%.
Revivi, who is also mayor of Efrat, said the spending was badly needed.
He said that school spending was legally required because of the fast-growing population. He also said that roads in Judea and Samaria have been in "dire condition" for years, and there is a drastic need for improvements.
Netivei Yisrael-the National Transport Infrastructure Company, which oversees road construction, said it carries out its projects at the instruction of the Transportation Ministry. In Judea and Samaria, these projects often allow settlers to bypass Palestinian villages to minimize friction.
In a statement, the company said it is "proud to lead a long line of projects throughout Israel, including Judea and Samaria, with the goal of improving safety for travelers and saving lives."
Education Minister Naftali Bennett declined to comment, while Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz did not respond to a query. Both men are strong supporters of the settlements. Netanyahu's office also did not answer a request for comment.
But Peace Now's Ofran said that road construction has deeper implications. She said new roads bring easier commutes and a better quality of life for settlers, drawing more people.
"We see it very immediately, after the opening of a road, a big boom in construction along the road," she said. "I think the investments we have these years in the roads are dramatic and will allow the expansion of settlements dramatically. That is very worrying."
In recent months, both Peace Now and settler advocates have released reports claiming that Trump's policies have laid the groundwork for a settlement boom in the near future.
In a statement, the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem repeated the White House policy. "While the existence of settlements is not in itself an impediment to peace, further unrestrained settlement activity doesn't help peace," it said.
