Israel 'legalising' outposts

2003-11-27 12:48

Jerusalem - Israel is in the final stages of legalising new West Bank settlements, a top official said on Thursday, a clear violation of its commitments to the United States and to an internationally backed peace plan.

The road map peace plan requires Israel to remove dozens of unauthorised West Bank outposts established since March 2001 and to freeze construction.

But Deputy Defence Minister Zeev Boim said on Thursday that Israel was in the final stages of granting "legal" status to some West Bank outposts and had also granted a tender to expand the West Bank settlement of Negohot.

Palestinian cabinet minister Saeb Erekat said the moves undermine the road map, and called on the United States to halt the Israeli measures.

Jewish settlers have been establishing unauthorised hilltop outposts since 1998 in an attempt to establish new "facts on the ground" to prevent land-for-peace agreements with the Palestinians. They have enjoyed the quiet support of hard-line Israeli governments, which have provided soldiers to guard them. As foreign minister in 1998, Sharon urged settlers to seize hilltops.

Although the government calls some of the outposts "illegal," it has allowed settlers to pave roads to the hilltop areas, which are often made up of no more than a few trailers and a handful of settlers.

"Illegal outposts were built in the past three years, this is not a secret. I am saying that some of them are towns, that the process of legalising them is near the end, and this is the difference," Boim told Israel Army Radio.

Other outposts that are not being "legalised" will be dismantled, Boim said, adding that dozens of unauthorised outposts have been removed in the past three years. Israeli human rights groups say very few of the outposts have been dismantled, and those that have were quickly re-established.

Despite US opposition, Israel will expand and allow construction for "natural growth" purposes in existing settlements, Boim said, citing the example of Negohot, a small settlement west of Hebron.

"Negohot is a legal settlement in every way and therefore if it needs to build public buildings that are meant to serve the population there, if there is a need to expand the town, then we do these things," Boim said.

"I think the Americans understand ... they would like to freeze the issue of settlements, and there is such a clause in the road map as well, (but) the prime minister came and said, 'Look people are living there,"' Boim said, explaining that Israel always said it would allow construction in existing settlements.

Erekat said Israel always intended to make the outposts permanent, and called the move an "outright violation" of the road map.

"These decisions must be revoked and there must be total cessation of settlement activities as specified in the road map," Erekat said. "They (Israel) have to choose between settlements and peace, and I hope they choose peace."

- AP