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WORLD NEWS Thursday 23 March 2023
Netanyahu seeks to soothe U.S. concerns over

settlement repeal

By LAURIE KELLMAN
Associated Press
JERUSALEM (AP) — Prime
Minister Benjamin Netan-
yahu appeared to back
down on Wednesday, say-
ing his government has no
intention of returning to four
abandoned settlements in
the occupied West Bank
under a law that was re-
pealed by parliament this
week. His statement fol-
lowed harsh U.S. criticism
and an international uproar
over Netanyahu’s far-right
government, the country’s
most hard-line ever, over
the Knesset vote early Tues-
day to revoke a 2005 law Israelis, mostly military reservists, protest against plans by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s
that dismantled the four government to overhaul the judicial system, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Wednesday, March 22, 2023.
Associated Press
settlements. The Biden ad-
ministration summoned Is- “That said,” he said, “the tions, though the Israeli mili- ter holidays,” the U.S. State
rael’s ambassador in Wash- government has no inten- tary has allowed activists to Department said.
ington hours after the vote tion to build new settle- visit and pray there. Pressure against Israel’s

a rare rebuke between the ments in these areas.” Critics fear the vote could new government mounted
allies. Jordan’s parliament, U.S. Deputy Secretary of clear the way for rebuilding further Wednesday as the
meanwhile, in a largely State Wendy Sherman ex- the four settlements, aban- Jordanian parliament vot-
symbolic vote, approved pressed America’s con- doned nearly 20 years ago ed to expel Israel’s ambas-
the expulsion of Israel’s en- cern to Israeli Ambassador when Israeli forces pulled sador over Finance Minister
voy over the conduct of a Michael Herzog in Wash- out of the Gaza Strip, and Bezalel Smotrich’s speech
firebrand minister. ington over the Knesset’s further set back Palestinian at a podium adorned
Netanyahu said the Knes- vote. Just days earlier, Isra- hopes for statehood. with a map of Israel that
set vote on Tuesday end- el had pledged not to ap- Sherman and Herzog dis- purportedly included Jor-
ed a period that discrimi- prove new settlement con- cussed “the importance of dan. The incident over the
nated against and humili- struction or take unilateral all parties refraining from weekend, the parliament
ated Jews by not allowing actions. Since the 2005 law, actions or rhetoric that in Amman said, “reflects
them to live in “northern Israeli citizens have been could further inflame ten- Israeli arrogance that does
Samaria,” using the biblical officially banned from re- sions leading into the Ra- not respect international
term for the West Bank. turning to the four loca- madan, Passover, and Eas- treaties and covenants.” q

Ethiopian lawmakers remove Tigray group from

terror list

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — gray conflict began in late the TPLF from the terror list, Broadcasting Corporation.
Ethiopian lawmakers have 2020. with 61 objections and five The TPLF was added to the
removed the Tigray Peoples Most of Ethiopia’s 547 law- abstentions, according list in May 2012.
Liberation Front from the makers voted to remove to the state-run Ethiopian Kindeya Gebrehiwot, a se-
country’s list of designated nior TPLF official, told The
terror groups more than Associated Press the re-
four months after a peace moval will be a “very good
agreement ended a con- step in moving the peace
flict that killed hundreds of agreement forward.”
thousands of people. Ethiopia accused the TPLF
Wednesday’s decision of starting the conflict by
highlights the improving attacking an army base in
relations between federal Tigray, while the TPLF ac-
officials and Tigray regional cused the federal govern-
ones and moves the re- ment of preparing to strike
gion closer to the establish- first. The peace agreement
ment of an interim govern- signed in November has
ment. The TPLF dominated led to the return of com-
Ethiopian politics for close Fighters loyal to the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) walk munications, banking and
to three decades before along a street in the town of Hawzen, then controlled by the other basic services cut to
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed group, in the Tigray region of northern Ethiopia on May 7, 2021. the Tigray region of more
took office in 2018. The Ti- Associated Press than 5 million people. q