Nine colonial outposts in the occupied West Bank have reportedly been “legalized” by Israel and transformed into official settlements, according to Israeli media.
Itamar Ben-Gvir, the national security minister, and Bezalel Smotrich, the defence minister, intended to legalize as many as 77 outposts, but their proposal was denied, according to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz.
Following attacks on Israelis in the city, the far-right fanatic Ben-Gvir is said to have ordered a major onslaught in occupied Jerusalem that include legalizing the colonial outposts.
Washington has allegedly grown more irritated by the decision, which is thought to be the first approval of such outposts by the Israeli government since 2012. The Israeli government has planned to connect dozens of other illegal outposts to state infrastructure, as well as permit the development and construction of thousands of new dwelling units in the settlements, according to the news website Axios, in addition to legalizing the nine outposts.
According to Axios, the US was informed in advance of the outpost decision. According to reports from both Israel and the US, President Joe Biden’s administration expressed vehement opposition to the proposal in the days before the cabinet vote. Washington made it clear that once it was authorized, it would be publicly denounced.
The licensing of outposts is reportedly one topic that the Biden administration has clearly stated it will oppose, even though previous US administrations have chosen to ignore Israel’s illegal Jewish settlement construction and development.
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