ABSTRACT
During the first decade of Israeli control of the West Bank, the Labor Alignment was in power. It had no clear-cut or decisive policy toward the region, although it did enact legislation making Jerusalem part of Israel. Divisiveness within Labor, international pressures, and concern about integrating a large Arab population within the Jewish state restrained movement toward annexation. Likud policy from 1977 until 1984 was clear-cut and decisive, with emphasis on integrating the West Bank as an integral part of Israel. This policy was motivated as much by Herut ideology, emphasizing territorial unification of the Land of Israel, as by security considerations. Israeli public opinion was sharply divided on the future of the West Bank and on Likud policies there. The West Bank experienced greater economic, political and social change under the Israeli Military Government Administration after 1967 than at any time in the 20th Century.
