Palestinian land

Watchdog fears seizure of more land in West Bank

JERUSALEM - Muslimchronicle

An Israeli settlement watchdog has denounced a legal opinion by the attorney general (AG), saying it could pave the way for the seizure of more Palestinian land in the West Bank. Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit said in a legal opinion that Israel could, in certain circumstances, confiscate private Palestinian land for the benefit of Jewish settlements in the occupied territories.Read more

Israeli land grabbers evicted from private Palestinian land

Ofra, West Bank - Arab Today

Israeli police began removing settlers and hundreds of supporters on Tuesday from nine houses built illegally on privately owned Palestinian land in the occupied West Bank. Police carried some of the settlers and protesters out of the red-roofed structures in the settlement of Ofra, while others walked out, escorted by officers. Israel’s Supreme Court has ordered the demolition of nineRead more

Israel mulling whether land-grab law also relates to Palestinian agricultural land

Ramallah - Arab Today

The government is mulling whether the new law enabling the expropriation of privately owned Palestinian land applies to agricultural land illegally worked by settlers and not just to areas on which settlers have built homes, Israeli Prosecutor’s Office told the High Court of Justice last week. It was responding to a High Court petition filed by Palestinians who claim ownershipRead more

Turkey tells Israel to halt 'illegal settlements'

Ankara - Arab Today

Turkey on Wednesday called on the Israeli government to halt what it called "illegal settlement policies" on Palestinian land. Ibrahim Kalin, the spokesman for President Tayyip Erdogan, made the comment at a news conference in Ankara. Erdogan has previously condemned Israel's decision to ramp up settlements in the West Bank as an "absolute provocation". Israel announced plans last month forRead more

Israel wants settlements, not peace

Reuters - ArabToday

Israel is above international law, or so it seems. On December 23, the United Nations Security Council passed resolution 2334, re-affirming the illegality of Israeli settlements. The vote was significant for two reasons: Unlike previous UNSC resolutions targeting Israel, it was not vetoed by the Obama administration, who decided to abstain. Secondly, it demonstrated an international consensus on the illegalityRead more

UN Chief Warns Israel of Legal Consequences

New York - Arab Today

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has deeply regretted the adoption by Israel’s legislative body, the Knesset, of the so called "Regularisation Bill," saying the measure contravenes international law and will have "far-reaching legal consequences" for the country. A statement from the UN spokesperson noted that the bill reportedly provides immunity to settlements and outposts in the occupied West Bank thatRead more

EU Urges Israel to Stop Implementing New Settlement Law

Brussels - Arab Today

European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini strongly condemned Israel's so-called "Regularization Law", which retroactively legalizes the expropriation of privately owned Palestinian land. Mogherini said the law "crosses a new and dangerous threshold by legalizing under Israeli law the seizure of Palestinian property rights and effectively authorizing the confiscation of privately owned Palestinian land in occupied territory". MogheriniRead more

AL chief condemns Israel's decision to issue West Bank outposts bill

Cairo - Arab Today

Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Abul Gheit condemned Tuesday the law adopted by Israel to legalize about 3,000 housing units built on the Palestinian land in the West Bank. Such law reflects the real intentions of the Israeli government and its hostile stance toward peace, he added. Abul Gheit further said that the law represents a cover to grab theRead more

HRWs: Israel's Passage of Regularization Bill Reflects

New York - Arab Today

In response to the Israeli Knesset's passage of the 'Regularization' bill that allows Israel to retroactively appropriate privately owned Palestinian land for settlements undoes years of established Israeli law and, coming just weeks after the Security Council's unanimous passage of Resolution 2234 on the illegality of settlements, reflects Israel's manifest disregard of international law, Human Rights Watch said. TheRead more

First Turkish minister visits Israel since 2010

Tel Aviv - Arab Today

Turkey's tourism minister on Tuesday became the first member of his country's cabinet to visit Israel since 2010, despite a row over settlements on Palestinian land. Nabi Avci met his Israeli counterpart Yariv Levin in Tel Aviv amid a dispute over a new law legalising dozens of West Bank illegal outposts, but the two men downplayed the issue at aRead more