Middle East Monitor / November 18, 2022
The Palestinian Authority yesterday called on the international community and the US administration to put pressure on Israeli Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu not to implement the agreement he concluded with the far-right Member of the Knesset Itamar Ben-Gvir regarding the deepening and expansion of illegal settlement outposts in the occupied Palestinian territories.
The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs warned that, if implemented, the deal would deepen settlement, lead to the seizure of more Palestinian land, and legalize random outposts, especially in the northern West Bank, such as the Homesh and Avitar illegal outposts.
“The agreement provisions strike once again the foundations of any future political negotiating process, and complete the Israeli deliberate sabotage of the opportunity to achieve peace on the basis of the principle of the two-state solution, and undermine any international and regional efforts exerted to build confidence between the Palestinian and Israeli sides,” it added.
The statement also warned of “the catastrophic repercussions of this agreement, not only on the conflict arena and the entire region, but also on the hope of achieving peace.”
“An agreement like this lends further credibility to the Palestinian appeal to the ICJ and to the International Criminal Court, and also lends credibility to the international and American stance, which rejects [Jewish] settlement and urges the implementation of the two-state solution,” it added.
Yesterday, Israeli media outlets published details of a deal between Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu and far right Member of the Knesset Itamar Ben-Gvir to form a coalition government. It provides for the legalization of illegal settlement outposts in the occupied West Bank within 60 days of the formation of the government, the amendment of the disengagement law from the Gaza Strip and legalizing the Homesh settlement outpost in the north of the occupied West Bank to allow Jewish Yeshiva students to study there.
The agreement also stipulates that planning and the construction of bypass roads to connect illegal settlements in the West Bank, widening Route 60 and allocating $146 million-$292 million for that purpose and legalizing the illegal Avitar settlement outpost would all be accelerated.
