Despite promise, Israel eyes building on Palestinian land

[Scurrilous]

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"The state is considering appropriating private Palestinian land in the West Bank, the State Prosecutor's Office informed the High Court of Justice yesterday. Such a move would contravene Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's commitment not to seize land for settlement expansion.

The prosecution's statement to the High Court yesterday came in response to a petition by human rights group Yesh Din against the construction of a sewage treatment facility that would serve the West Bank settlement of Ofra.

Construction of the facility began in 2007, on private Palestinian land from the nearby village of Ein Yabrud, in contravention of the government's approved master plan for the area.

"The fact that today the state is trying to legitimize the land theft ... by seizing land retroactively, for the sake of a settlement that was not long ago classified as 'the largest illegal outpost in the West Bank,' is nothing short of an outrage," said Shlomo Zacharia, one of the lawyers representing Yesh Din. "No less grave is the fact that this conduct, which contravenes the explicit policy of the government and the prime minister, aims to cover up the failures and unwillingness of the army and the state in defending Palestinian property."

The state said the treatment facility was built illegally, without construction permits, and that demolition orders have been issued for its destruction. However, based on the state's response to the petition, it does not appear to be planning to enforce the law or return the land to its rightful owners. The state did say that it is examining various alternatives to dealing with the issue."

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