News from Peace Now's (Israel) Settlement Watch:
The Attorney General, Avichai Mandelblit, stated yesterday (August 7, 2016) that he will consider the option
of moving Amona to a nearby absentees' property despite "weighty legal issues." The option was proposed to him
by a committee established by the government to find a solution of the illegal outposts issue. Approving the
committee's legal opinion will consist of a sharp change of Israeli policy thus far, and contradict decisions of
the Supreme Court, according to which private land cannot be used for the purpose of settlements. Such an approval
will expose Israel to lawsuits and create a precedent that could lead to the doubling of the land taken up by
settlements.
Peace Now: "The Attorney General is signaling that he is willing to approve the stealing of private lands of
absentees for settlers who themselves stole private lands against the law. The extrapolation of the AG approving
this option is that from now on, absentees' property could be leased to the settlers, despite of the fact that
these are private properties. The government's willingness to politically compensate the settlers of Amona, who
settled on private Palestinian land, is leading to devastating consequences on the ground and to the distortion of
Israel's moral and legal systems."