Under “American pressure”, Bennett imposes ‘de facto freeze’ on illegal settlement building

Occupied Palestine (QNN)- Israel’s new Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has placed a “de facto freeze” on the building of illegal settlements and their expansion under US pressure, Israeli media reported.

Israel Hayom reported that Bennett had refused to allow members of Israel’s Supreme Planning Council in the occupied West Bank to convene, thus preventing it from approving new construction and settlement expansion plans.

The newspaper wrote that this decision means a “complete freeze on future construction” of illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank as long as the Supreme Council is prevented from meeting.

The previous government, under then-Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, was supposed to set a date for a meeting of the committee, but Benny Gantz prevented it from doing so, insisting only the new government should do so, the newspaper said.

It also said that although Bennett has been in power for over a month, no date has been set, “this time due to American pressure.”

The Supreme Planning Council is responsible for approving construction plans for settlements’ expansion and infrastructure.

However, Bennett has vowed that his government will back the expansion and construction of illegal settlements in all areas of the occupied West Bank.

Bennett made the statement in a speech at a special session of the Knesset (Israel’s parliament) to hold a vote of confidence for his coalition government that ousted Benjamin Netanyahu from power.

In June, he approved 31 plans for settlers to build a synagogue and a Torah school, a shopping centre and new units in the illegal settlement of Yitzhar, north of the West Bank.

He also approved plans to expand and develop settlements including Mishor Adumim, Kfar Adumim and Karni Shomron.

Bennett is strongly associated with the settlements, having led the Yesha Council, the main settler advocacy group.

He also became an outspoken advocate of Israeli annexation of parts of the occupied West Bank.

There are nearly 700,000 Israeli settlers living in 256 illegal settlements and outposts scattered across the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem. Israeli settlements are illegal under international law.

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