8, October 2016 Netanyahu’
dilemma
The Jewish residents of
Amona, an outpost in the occupied West Bank of Israel are heading for a battle
with their own government. Buoyed by a weak Obama administration and a wink and
nod by their own government, residents built illegal homes thwarting an Israel
Supreme Court order to dismantle the homes by December 25. Amona is one of 100
illegal outposts built, without authorization, across the West Bank. World
leaders have declared the settlements a clear violation of international law.
An Israeli human rights group, Yesh
Din, representing the Palestinian landowners,
stated that the illegal occupation was a clear violation of the Military Order
of 1967 which was supposed to protect such property.
The Amona outpost built on Palestinian land with commanding
views of the central West Bank, was envisioned by Palestinians as the heart of
their future state.
Even Israel’s hardline defense minister, Avigdor Lieberman — a
settler himself — has declared the outpost to be illegal.
In a lawless attempt to thwart the return of Palestinians to
their property in Ofra, settlers burned their grape farms. Using their usual soft language, the Obama administration condemned
Israel’s plan to build 98 housing units east of Shilo, as “deeply troubling.” In
a move reminiscent of the expropriation of native Indian land in America,
Netanyahu’s government retroactively
legalized dozens of settler outpost. All this comes on the heels of a record
$38 billion of US military aid to Israel. This is a shameful capitulation of
Israel’s decade’s long occupation, land theft and home demolitions.
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