Faizel Patel, Radio Islam News – 09-12-2016
The South African government says it is shocked my members of the Israeli Knesset’s decision to table a Regulations Bill to legitimise the continuing annexation of Palestinian land for settlement construction.
The Bill has already been condemned by Israel’s Attorney-General, stating that it breaches local and international law.
Opposition parties correctly described it as a “land grab” move.
In a statement the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) says the Bill intends to retroactively legalise 55 illegal outposts by turning them into state-sanctioned settlements.
Spokesperson Clayson Monyela says the Bill would also open the door for the legalisation of over 3000 housing units inside existing settlements by expropriating the 5000 dunams of private Palestinian land.
“The bill seeks to legalise housing units built by settlers on private Palestinian land if the construction was carried out in “good faith,” including situations where settlers might not have known that the land was Palestinian and received some support from the state, be it explicit or implicit support.”
Monyela says South Africa reiterates that the illegal occupation of Palestinian territory is a direct obstacle to the peace negotiations and is contrary to international law and has called on people throughout the world to stand up in defence of the two-state solution and to strongly opposes the “land grab” Bill.
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