Bibi for legal tag on illegal Jewish settlements

Jerusalem: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday he would ask Parliament to vote on adopting a law legalising unauthorised Jewish settlements built on Palestinian land in the occupied West Bank.

Late last year lawmakers approved draft legislation that would retroactively grant legal status to wildcat settlements across the West Bank in defiance of international law, prompting strong condemnation from the United States.

A statement from Mr Netanyahu’s office said the new bill would be submitted for parliament’s approval on Monday “to allow us to regularise once and for all settlements in (the West Bank) and prevent repeated attempts to damage them”.

The international community considers all Israeli settlements in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank to be illegal, whether they are authorised by state institutions or not. They are also seen as a major stumbling blocks to peace efforts as they are built on land the Palestinians see as part of their future state. The legislation is seen as seeking to placate pro-settlement members of Mr Netanyahu’s ruling majority.

Analysts have said Israel’s most right-wing government in history is seeking to rapidly take advantage of the election of Donald Trump, who has indicated he will be far less critical of settlements than previous US presidents.

According to anti-settlement group Peace Now, there are around 2,000 homes built on land owned by Palestinians in the West Bank.