The Avigayil outpost, southeast of Hebron in the West Bank, Febuary 21, 2010. (Kobi Gideon / FLASH90)
After the government approved almost 800 new housing units in West Bank settlements this week, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday tried to also legalize six unrecognized outposts, but was thwarted by Defense Minister Benny Gantz.
The proposal came a day before the inauguration of US President-elect Joe Biden, potentially further complicating the start of Jerusalem’s relations with the new administration. The approval of the settler homes has received widespread international attention and been condemned by the Palestinians, the European Union and the UN, among others.
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Civil Administration officers prepare to demolish a home slated for demolition in the Kumi Ori outpost on April 22, 2020. (Courtesy)
The Knesset advanced a controversial bill on Wednesday which, if passed into law, would legalize dozens of West Bank settlements considered illegal under current Israeli law. It would also formally allow them to be connected to electricity and water supplies.
The so-called “Outposts Law,” initiated by hard-right Yamina MK Bezalel Smotrich, passed 59-39 in its preliminary reading in the main chamber of the Knesset. The bill is set to head to committee before returning to the full Knesset chamber for approval in second and third readings.