The Israeli Cabinet, headed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is set to approve, this coming Sunday, the construction of 182 units for illegal colonialist settlers in the Jordan Valley of the occupied West Bank.
Israeli sources have reported that the decision is part of the Cabinet’s approval, which was made on September 15th, regarding “legalizing,” Mevo’ot Yericho colonialist outpost, which was installed on Palestinian lands without the government’s approval.
This comes after Benjamin Netanyahu declared his decision to enforce Israel’s complete control on the Jordan Valley and all areas north of the Dead Sea, in the occupied West Bank, as part of the so-called “Jordan Valley Annexation Plan.”
All of Israel’s colonies in the occupied West Bank, including those in and around East Jerusalem, are illegal under International Law, the Fourth Geneva Conventions, and various United Nations and Security Council resolutions.
Israeli Peace Now Movement said that the decision means that the units in the illegal outpost will be retroactively legalized especially after the cabinet has given the green light for that.
In its statement, Peace Now said: This announcement marks the christening of a sixth official settlement since the Oslo Accords, following declarations for the Havat Gilad outpost (2018), Amichai settlement (2017), Bruchin (2012), Sansana (2012) and Rechelim (2012).
Over a dozen other outposts have been retroactively authorized as “neighborhoods” of existing settlements so that the government could deny officially creating new settlements. For more on the revival of building outposts under the Netanyahu government and efforts to legalize them, click here.
Mevo’ot Yericho lies strategically just 650 meters from the Area A of the northern edge of Jericho, thus blocking potential Palestinian develop. The move comes just days after Prime Minister Netanyahu presented a detailed plan to annex the Jordan Valley, while encircling Palestinian Areas A and B.
This official establishment of another settlement proves yet again that the government is unencumbered by the thought of international backlash or the end to Israeli democracy on its way to annex Area C. The government continues to show blatant disregard for reaching a two-state conflict-ending agreement with the Palestinians. Instead, it prefers to take new strides in formalizing the acquisition of occupied territory and to control the area’s resources while permanently keeping the Palestinian population confined without full rights in isolated cantons.”
