Netanyahu vows to authorize illegal West Bank settler outposts if elected to form government

(Worthy News) – Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to authorize illegal West Bank settler outposts if the upcoming March 23 election enables him to form a right-wing government, the Jerusalem Post reports. The PM made his election pledge Sunday as he visited the Givat Harel outpost in the West Bank’s Binyamin region.

Addressing members of the Young Settlements Forum who met him at the outpost, the PM reportedly said: “I swear to you: If I create a strong right-wing government without a rotation, I will take care of the settlements and the authorization of the young settlements [outposts].” All of Netanyahu’s right-wing rivals have pledged similar support for the outposts.

There are some 165 illegal West Bank outposts at stake, around 100 of which were built between 1991-2005. A further 65 were built over the last eight years, the Jerusalem Post said. Of the new outposts, 41 are herding encampments built for the purpose of claiming land through grazing and agriculture. The others were specifically intended to become communities.

The Young Settlements Forum has specifically asked for 70 outposts to be legalized either as new neighborhoods of existing settlements or as new settlements, the Post said.

The Biden administration is understood to oppose unilateral Israeli annexation of the West Bank, although the President has said in the past it would be “outrageous” and “wrong” for the US to condition military aid to Israel over Israeli settlement activity.

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