Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett confirmed on Tuesday his visit to an illegal Jewish settlement in the occupied West Bank, Anadolu News Agency reported.
Bennett tweeted that his visit to the settlement of Elkanan aimed “to show support” to the Israeli army. He added that the army has “freedom of action to thwart any attack attempt”.
Dozens protest Bennett’s first settlement visit since becoming prime minister: Right-wing protesters at the West Bank settlement of Elkana accused Bennett of 'selling Elkana to the Arabs,' a week after Israel authorized 500 new housing units for… https://t.co/ejwBnDPaB7 Haaretz pic.twitter.com/UCtYOJTjr1
— Jewish Community (@JComm_NewsFeeds) May 17, 2022
Bennett’s visit drew immediate condemnation from the Palestinian Foreign Ministry. A Ministry statement said the Israeli Premier’s visit was “part of his unannounced election campaign at the expense of the Palestinian people.”
Bennett’s visit came amid rising tensions across the Palestinian territories since last month over Israeli arrest campaigns in the West Bank and settler incursions into Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem.
(MEMO, PC, Social Media)
