Israel repeals a law ordering the evacuation of four settlements in the West Bank

Controversial repeal of a law in the Knesset that further tightens the rope with Palestine. The Israeli Parliament decided on Tuesday to repeal the 2005 law on the dismantlement of settlements in the West Bank.

What was approved then dismantled four Jewish settlements in this occupied area, while making the Israeli troops withdraw from the Gaza Strip.

The repeal of this law could therefore mean a Israel’s dangerous official return to the abandoned West Bank area, which is a complete step backwards in the restrictions imposed on the expansion of Israeli settlers.

The vote by Israeli legislators has not taken long to be condemned by several countries, including the United States, which consider the decision inflammatory, even more so at the current time of strong tensions between both parties.

Desde Washington, the State Department declared itself “extremely concerned” as agreed in the Knesset, and urged Israel to refrain from allowing settlers to return to outposts. “At a time of great tension, the legislative changes announced today are provocative and counterproductive to efforts to restore some measures of calm,” said the State Department spokesman, Vedant Patel.

**Unconstructive statements

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And it is that the repeal of this law becomes, in short, one more measure of the current Government Benjamin Netanyahu —in coalition with ultra-nationalists and ultra-Orthodox—, to promote the expansion of settlements in the territory.

The last few days have been especially tense and without a doubt not very positive for understanding and calm. A good example of this has been the incendiary comments made by the Israeli Finance Minister, Bezalel Smotrichabout some Palestinians who, according to him, “do not exist.”

Israel evacuated all four settlements and unilaterally withdrew from Gaza under the 2005 legislation. The then Prime Minister, Ariel Sharonargued that Israel would not be able to keep the settlements under a future deal with the Palestinians.

But now the Netanyahu government seems to have placed the settlement expansion at the top of their agendabringing forward thousands of new housing in the settlements and retroactively authorizing nine outposts in the West Bank.

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