Jerusalem, 29 May (LaPresse) – Israel has declared that it will authorise the establishment of 22 Jewish settlements in the West Bank, including the legalisation of outposts already built without government authorisation. Most of the international community considers the settlements illegal and an obstacle to resolving the decades-long conflict. Defence Minister Israel Katz said the decision to establish the settlements ‘strengthens our hold on Judea and Samaria,’ using the biblical term for the West Bank, ‘consolidates our historic right to the Land of Israel and is a resounding response to Palestinian terrorism.’ He added that it was also ‘a strategic move that prevents the creation of a Palestinian state that would endanger Israel.’
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