It's been a good couple weeks for supporters of West Bank settlements. On March 22, it was reported that new construction in settlements had risen by 40% in 2016. The next day, the U.S. Senate confirmed David Friedman – a staunch supporter of settlements – as U.S. ambassador to Israel.

It didn't end there.

On Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that a new settlement would be established – in the heart of the West Bank – for evacuees from the illegal settlement outpost of Amona. In effect, Netanyahu rewarded them for breaking Israeli law, which outlaws these outposts, by breaking international law under which all settlements are illegal.

But Netanyahu wasn’t done. Later that evening, he announced a new policy of "restraint" on settlements designed to appease the Trump administration. Even a cursory glance at the new policy, which allows for continued settlement expansion both inside and adjoining all existing settlements, reveals the truth: there will be no "restraint" by Netanyahu’s government when it comes to expanding settlements and preventing a two-state solution.

What was the Trump administration’s response? "The United States welcomes this."

That's why there's never been a more critical time to fight back against settlement expansion. APN is doing just that by developing the new Facts on the Ground 2.0 mobile app, a powerful informational tool that will educate and inform people around the world about the danger that settlements pose to Israel's future. In the hands of government policymakers, international organizations, students, teachers, researchers, and media outlets, this tool can be harnessed to make a real, positive difference when it comes to prospects for Israeli-Palestinian peace.

We need your help to make this tool a reality. Donate now to support Facts on the Ground 2.0.