Four Israeli ministers tour illegal outposts

Published yesterday (updated) 18/08/2009 11:11

Bethlehem - Ma'an/Agencies -

Four Israeli occupation government ministers toured a handful of what Israel calls illegal outposts in the West Bank on Monday, according to Hebrew news reports.

One of the officials, Interior Minister Eli Yishai, insisted that the visit was not to so-called illegal outposts, but "to legal settlements built by the governments of Israel," the Hebrew-language Yedioth Ahronoth reported.

Rejecting withdrawals from occupied land, Yishai added, "Today, even those who supported the [Gaza] pullout realize it was a mistake," saying he hoped Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would "at least be able to explain the importance of settlement blocs to the US administration."

The four ministers were in the area to meet with local leaders and discuss the issue of the outposts, which Israeli policy generally differentiates from larger, more established West Bank settlements.

The visit came at the invitation of the "Shomron Regional Council," a settlement governing organization.

The other three ministers taking part in the tour were Minister for Strategic Affairs Moshe Ya'alon, Science Minister Daniel Hershkowitz and Information Minister Yuli Edelstein. Among the outposts they visited were Nofei Nehemia, Bruchin, and Havat Gilad, which are awaiting zoning permits to become "legal" settlements.

According to another local leader, "Yesha Human Rights Organization" chair Orit Struck, the issue of tearing down outposts on Palestinian land was "nothing but selective law enforcement," implying that Palestinian citizens of Israel are settlers.

"Any other community with the same status as the outposts on the other side of the Green Line – especially Arab communities – would enjoy what former Minister Shlomo Ben-Ami called 'wise enforcement' and affirmative action."

Meanwhile, the Israeli human rights organization Peace Now condemned the visit, and particularly the religious Shas party, which the organization slammed for its selective outrage on legal issues.

"Erecting West Bank outposts is just as grave [under Israeli law] as the bribery scandal that Shlomo Benizri was convicted of, but evidently, Shas' chairman does not think the law applies to his political or ideological associates, who apparently deserve only immunity and clemency," wrote Peace Now director Yariv Oppenheimer in a statement.