The United States was conspicuously tight-lipped Tuesday amid a world outcry over a new Israeli law allowing the appropriation of private Palestinian land for Jewish settler outposts. The United Nations, the European Union and the Arab League were just some of those coming out against the legislation passed in parliament late Monday.
"This bill is in contravention of international law and will have far reaching legal consequences for Israel," UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said in a statement. "The European Union condemns the recent adoption of the 'Regularisation Law'," foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said, arguing it "crosses a new and dangerous threshold by legalising under Israeli law the seizure of Palestinian property rights".
The law legalises dozens of wildcat outposts and thousands of settler homes in the occupied West Bank, and prompted a Palestinian call for the international community to punish Israel. Pro-Palestinian Israeli NGOs said they would ask the Supreme Court to strike down the law, and opposition leader Isaac Herzog warned the legislation could result in Israeli officials facing the International Criminal Court.
Washington refused direct comment, in stark contrast to the settlement criticism repeatedly voiced under Barack Obama. "Prime Minister (Benjamin) Netanyahu will be here on February 15. I don't want to get ahead of that now," White House spokesman Sean Spicer said. The US State Department said President Donald Trump's new administration "needs to have the chance to fully consult with all parties on the way forward". France called the bill a "new attack on the two-state solution", while Britain said it "damages Israel's standing with its international partners". Turkey "strongly condemned" the law and Israel's "unacceptable" settlement policy, and the Arab League accused Israel of "stealing the land and appropriating the property of Palestinians".
Britain and Israel's Arab neighbour Jordan also expressed concern. Separately to the new law, Israel has approved more than 6,000 settler homes since Trump took office on January 20 having signalled a softer stance on the issue than his predecessor.
The law, which passed 60 to 52 in its final reading, will allow Israel to legally seize Palestinian private land on which Israelis built outposts without knowing it was private property or because the state allowed them to do so. Palestinian owners will be compensated financially or with other land.
AFP text, photos, graphics and logos shall not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium. AFP shall not be held liable for any delays, inaccuracies, errors or omissions in any AFP content, or for any actions taken in consequence.
Business Recorder shall not be responsible or held liable for any error of fact, opinion or recommendation and also for any loss, financial or otherwise, resulting from business or trade or speculation conducted, or investments made, on the basis of the information posted here. Nor shall Business Recorder be held liable for any actions taken in consequence." >Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2017