Deirdre Fulton – Emboldened by Trump, Israel Moves to ‘Legalize’ West Bank Settlements

On the morning after Donald Trump’s election victory, Israeli education minister Naftali Bennett declared: “The era of a Palestinian state is over.”

Moves this week by “emboldened” right-wing Israeli politicians offer evidence to support that statement.

The Washington Post reports:

Right-wing leaders in the Israeli government have seized on the election of Donald Trump to push forward assertive new legislation that would legalize Jewish settlements in the West Bank built on privately owned Palestinian land.

Believing that the time to act is now, as the U.S. president-elect begins to shape his foreign policy, top Israeli ministers voted unanimously Sunday in favor of a bill that would allow Israeli settlements and outposts that were built on property owned by Palestinians to avoid court-ordered demolitions.

“Trump’s spirit certainly hovers over this law,” Israeli journalist Meron Rapoport wroteon Monday.

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