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WORLD NEWS Wednesday 8 February

Israeli allies condemn settlement law as lawsuits loom

land that is not sovereign Is- Guterres expressed “deep
raeli territory and where its regret” over the bill, saying
Palestinian residents do not it was “in contravention of
have citizenship or the right international law and will
to vote. have far-reaching legal
The Palestinians seek the consequences for Israel.”
West Bank and east Jeru- “The secretary-general in-
salem, captured by Israel sists on the need to avoid
in the 1967 Mideast war, any action that would de-
as parts of a future inde- rail the two-state solution,”
pendent state. Most of the spokesman Stephane Du-
international community jarric said.
considers Israeli settlements Some of Israel’s closest al-
illegal and counterpro- lies, including Germany,
ductive to peace. Some Britain and the Czech Re-
600,000 Israelis now live in public, also condemned
the two areas. the legislation.
In Paris, Palestinian official Germany’s Foreign Ministry
Saeb Erekat said the law said its faith in Israel’s com-
puts “the last nail in the mitment to a two-state
coffin of the two-state solu- solution was “deeply shak-
tion” and accused the Is- en.” Britain’s minister for
raeli government of “trying the Middle East, Tobias Ell-
Palestinian laborers work at a construction site in a new housing project in the Israeli settlement of to legalize looting Palestin- wood, said the law “dam-
Maale Adumim, near Jerusalem, Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2017. A Palestinian Cabinet minister on Tuesday
called on the international community to punish Israel for a contentious new law, just hours after ian land.” ages Israel’s standing with
the Israeli parliament adopted the bill to retroactively legalize thousands of West Bank settlement Secretary-General Antonio its international partners.”q
homes built unlawfully on private Palestinian land.
(AP Photo/Oded Balilty)
JOSEF FEDERMAN Israeli hard-liners ahead of day, sets out to legalize
Associated Press a trip to the White House by dozens of West Bank set-
JERUSALEM (AP) — A new Israel’s prime minister next tler outposts built on pri-
Israeli law legalizing dozens week. The law was “a first vately owned Palestinian
of unlawfully built West Bank step in a series of measures land. Proponents claimed
settlement outposts came that we must take in order the communities, home to
under heavy criticism on to make our presence in thousands of people and
Tuesday from some of Is- Judea and Samaria pres- in some cases decades
rael’s closest allies, as local ent for years, for decades, old, were built in “good
rights groups prepared to for ages,” Israeli Cabinet faith” and quietly backed
ask the Supreme Court to Minister Yariv Levin said, by a string of Israeli govern-
overturn the measure. using the biblical name ments.
Amid the uproar, the Trump for the West Bank. “I do But critics said the law
administration remained believe that our right over amounts to legalized land
quiet about the law — pav- our fatherland is something theft. They also said it is le-
ing the way for further possi- that cannot be denied.” gally problematic by impos-
ble action by emboldened The law, passed late Mon- ing Israeli law on occupied

UN says 30,000 have returned to Iraq’s Mosul

BRAM JANSSEN has increased since Iraqi curity forces are screening
Associated Press forces drove the militants those who want to return.
KHAZER, Iraq (AP) — Some from the eastern half of the Norman Mohammed, who
30,000 people have re- city last month, according fled the city three years
turned to Mosul since Iraqi to U.N. Office for the Co- ago, said he had waited
forces launched a massive ordination of Humanitar- at the Khazer checkpoint
operation in October to re- ian Aid. IS still holds western all day Monday, hoping to
take the country’s second Mosul, home to an estimat- enter, but was turned back
largest city from the Islamic ed 750,000 people. by Kurdish security forces,
State group, the U.N. said At times, the crowds have who told him to return to
Tuesday. overwhelmed checkpoints the Kurdish regional capi-
The number of returnees outside the city, where se- tal, Irbil.q