Israel’s Haaretz newspaper revealed that the Israeli government “funds Zionist body that has seized private Palestinian lands in the occupied West Bank in recent years and established settlements on them, in direct contravention of the law.”
The Settlement Division of the World Zionist Organization is a non-governmental body vested with government functions and powers to act for the establishment and development of Jewish-only settlements.
“Every year, the government allocates millions of dollars for the division which ends up in the end in favor of the settlements.”
Report: Israeli government funding illegal projects on private Palestinian land https://t.co/nkGNcF3fR9
— Ramy Jabbar (@Ramdog1980) March 10, 2017
According to the paper, in addition to the huge budgets, “the division has enjoyed considerable weight with respect to forming the settlement policy in the occupied West Bank.”
“The Israeli government has imposed a state of ambiguity on the division’s work, and refuses to discuss its activities, despite the Israeli opposition requests, and this indicates that the division is a back yard of the government, to carry out its illegal work,” the newspaper noted.
In a report, the Israeli advocacy group Peace Now said “the World Zionist Organisation operate(s) without authority and provide(s) support and assistance to illegal activities. They also mislead the settlers themselves and give them the feeling that the construction is legal.”
Now this is some good news for this Sunday!! Positive vibes only! Focus on the positive! https://t.co/nzzxT2MRbt
— girllovejewel (@girllovejewel) March 5, 2017
“The government, for its part, helps the settlers by retroactively legalizing the illegal construction in many cases.”
Peace Now has briefed British Foreign Minister Boris Johnson two days ago on the situation of Israeli settlements in the West Bank during his visit to the Occupied Palestinian Territories and Israel.
(MEMO, PC, Social Media)
