Israel Passes Settlement Law amid Controversy
Palestinians have widely condemned the law
Israeli settlement near Jerusalem by User: Simio ( Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 1.0 Generic)
Israel has just passed a controversial settlement law that will legalize approximately 4000 Jewish settlement homes on Palestinian land.
BBC News reports, “Emboldened by the new US administration, Israel has undertaken a series of pro-settlement moves in recent weeks, including the approval of thousands of homes.”
The settlements have been a reason for conflict between Palestine and Israel for several years with the former condemning Israel’s decision to pass the law.
Abu Rudeineh, a spokesman for Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas said to the BBC, “This is an escalation that would only lead to more instability and chaos. It is unacceptable. It is denounced and the international community should act immediately.”
UN Middle East envoy has also asked the parliament to reconsider the law as it would “greatly diminish the prospects for Arab-Israeli peace”.
More than 600,000 Jews have settled on private Palestinian land since Israel’s 1967 occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem, an act illegal under international law. However, Israel has not heeded requests by global leaders and continues to encroach on Palestinean land.
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