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WORLD NEWS Wednesday 22 March 2023

Israel repeals 2005 act on West Bank settlement pullout

By ILAN BEN ZION not endanger the country's
Associated Press prosperity.
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli "I am convinced that the re-
lawmakers on Tuesday re- form will offer great oppor-
pealed a 2005 act that saw tunities for the Israeli econ-
four Jewish settlements in omy," he said. "Citizens, be
the occupied West Bank calm, you are in good and
dismantled at the same professional hands."
time as Israeli forces with- Tuesday's repeal comes
drew from the Gaza Strip. against the backdrop of
The development could the worst Israeli-Palestinian
pave the way for an official fighting in recent years and
return to the abandoned as concerns grow of inten-
West Bank areas in anoth- sified violence during Ra-
er setback to Palestinian madan, which will begin on
hopes for statehood. Thursday.
It was the latest move by Israeli forces have carried
Prime Minister Benjamin Ne- out almost nightly arrest
tanyahu's far-right govern- raids across the occupied
ment, which is dominated West Bank over the past
by settler leaders and al- year. The incursions began
lies, to promote settlement after a string of deadly at-
expansion in the territory, tacks in Israel last spring and
inflaming tensions with the A Palestinian youth holds a national flag next to a water tank in the former Israeli settlement of have provoked a fierce re-
Palestinians and the inter- Homesh settlement near the West Bank city of Jenin, Thursday, Oct. 3, 2013. Associated Press sponse from Palestinians.
national community. So far this year, 85 Palestin-
The move drew a sharp the Palestinians. injustice" and pledged to change. On Tuesday, pro- ians have been killed by
rebuke from Israel's closest Since then, Israeli citi- continue boosting settle- test leaders escalated their Israeli fire, and Palestinian
ally, the United States. Most zens have been officially ments. calls for troops to refuse to attackers have killed 15 Is-
of the international com- banned from returning to The Palestinians seek the serve in the military reserve raelis, according to a tally
munity considers settle- those locations, though the West Bank and Gaza Strip on which Israel's army relies. by The Associated Press.
ments illegal and opposes Israeli military has allowed as an independent state, "It's a very hard day for us Israel says most of the Pal-
construction on occupied activists to visit and pray with east Jerusalem as its today, and our voices are estinians killed have been
territories claimed by the there — a ban that has capital. Israel captured shaking because we want militants. But stone-throw-
Palestinians for a future in- now been revoked. those territories in the 1967 to take our battle against ing youths protesting the
dependent state. The State Netanyahu's government Mideast war. Since then, the government one step incursions and people not
Department said it was has put settlement expan- more than 700,000 Israelis forward," said Lt. Col. Ron involved in the confronta-
"extremely troubled" and sion at the top of its agen- have moved into dozens Sharf, a volunteer reservist. tions have also been killed.
urged Israel to refrain from da and has already ad- of Jewish settlements in the "Our government wants un- All but one of the Israelis
allowing settlers to return to vanced thousands of new West Bank and east Jeru- limited power." killed were civilians.
the outposts. settlement housing units salem — which most of the The threat of losing military On Tuesday, the U.S.,
"Coming at a time of height- and retroactively autho- world considers an obsta- personnel, particularly as France, Saudi Arabia and
ened tensions, the legisla- rized nine wildcat outposts cle to peace. tensions surge in the oc- the United Arab Emirates
tive changes announced in the West Bank. The vote came as Ne- cupied West Bank, has joined mounting criticism
today are provocative and This week, Israel pledged to tanyahu's government sparked concern and con- of Smotrich's remarks ear-
counterproductive to ef- put a temporary freeze on is pushing ahead with a demnation. Netanyahu on lier this week denying the
forts to restore some mea- further settlement approv- separate plan to overhaul Tuesday visited a military existence of the Palestinian
sures of calm," said State als, including authorization the country's judicial sys- recruitment center in cen- people.
Department spokesperson of outposts, as part of a tem that has roiled Israeli tral Israel and appeared "There is no such thing as a
Vedant Patel. series of measures meant politics. Netanyahu's allies to warn new conscripts Palestinian nation. There is
Angry condemnation also to ease tensions ahead of claim the courts have too against joining the protests. no Palestinian history. There
poured in on Tuesday from the sensitive period that much power in the legisla- "We have no country with- is no Palestinian language,"
the U.S. and several other includes the Muslim holy tive process and that the out soldiers who are willing, Smotrich said in a speech
countries over the of lat- month of Ramadan and Supreme Court is biased recruited for service," he in Paris. French Foreign Min-
est in a string of incendiary the Jewish festival of Pass- against settlers. Critics say said. istry spokeswoman Anne-
comments about the Pal- over. the overhaul would upend As the government faces Claire Legendre lambasted
estinians by Israel's ultrana- Still, ultranationalist mem- the country's delicate sys- mass protests over the judi- his remarks as "infuriating
tionalist finance minister, bers of Netanyahu's coali- tem of checks and balanc- cial overhaul, documents and irresponsible."
Bezalel Smotrich. Earlier this tion pushed for a repeal es and push Israel toward leaked Tuesday show top "The U.S. remains commit-
week, Smotrich claimed of the ban on the northern authoritarianism. They also finance ministry officials ted to two states for two
there is "no such thing" as West Bank settlements. The say Netanyahu could find expressing concern that ef- people, both of whom had
Palestinians, sparking wide- legislation passed in an an escape route from his forts to curb the Supreme deep ancient roots in the
spread outrage. overnight vote 31-18 in the corruption trial through the Court's independence land," Patel said.
Israel evacuated the four 120-seat Knesset. The re- overhaul. could damage Israel's Saudi Arabia denounced
settlements and unilater- maining lawmakers did not The political crisis has di- economy, making the what it called Smotrich's
ally pulled out of Gaza un- vote. vided the country and ex- country less attractive to "offensive and racist state-
der the 2005 legislation. The Itamar Ben-Gvir, an ultra- tended to the military, Isra- foreign investors and driv- ments," which it said "con-
prime minister at the time, nationalist West Bank set- el's most trusted institution, ing down its credit ratings. tribute to spreading hate
Ariel Sharon, argued that tler now serving as minister where many reservists have Smotrich responded defi- speech and violence and
Israel would not be able to in charge of police, said pledged not to show up antly to the reports, seeking undermine efforts for dia-
keep the settlements under Tuesday that the repeal of for duty under what they to assure the public that logue and international
a future agreement with the ban corrects "a historic see as impending regime the judicial overhaul would peace."q