Gov’t condemns Israeli Knesset decision on settler units

AMMAN — Jordan on Tuesday condemned the Israeli Knesset's decision earlier in the day that allowed confiscating privately owned Palestinian lands in the West Bank to expand settlements, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

The "Regulation Bill" legalized  4,000 settlement units in the West Bank for which settlers could prove ignorance that they had built on privately owned land and had received encouragement from the Israeli state to do so, reports said. 

Minister of State for Media Affairs Mohammad Momani said that Israel's seizure of Palestinian land violates international conventions and UN resolutions and that the Israeli government, as an occupation force, is required to preserve the status quo and not allow building “settler units” and land theft. 

He said that this Israeli measure is provocative and can eliminate any hope of implementing the two-state solution to bring about peace in the region, not to mention  that it triggers Muslims’ anger all over the world and invites further extremism in the Middle East. 

Momani cited UN Security Council Resolution 2334 that was issued in December 2016 and clearly pointed out the growing international isolation of Israel in light of its provocative settlement activity that damages peace and violates the right of Palestinians to establish their independent Palestinian state, with Jerusalem as its capital. 

The Israeli Knesset voted 60 to 52 to pass the law, which has drawn international concern and Palestinian anger.