Israel Legalizes Three Outposts
A special government committee legalized three outposts and said it will ask the Supreme Court to delay the evacuation of the Ulpana neighborhood of the Beit El settlement.
The committee on Monday night voted to legalize the outposts of Bruchin, Sansana and Rechalim. “These communities were founded in the 1990s based on the decisions of past governments,” the committee said in a statement.
The Cabinet on Sunday authorized the panel to reach a final decision on the recognition of settlements and outposts built on state land or through aid from the government.
The committee on Monday also charged the State Prosecutor’s Office to ask the high court to postpone the May 1 evacuation date of the Ulpana neighborhood in the West Bank settlement of Beit El, which is built on privately owned Palestinian land.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pledged to find a solution to the neighborhood that would not involve destroying the 30 homes located there. Defense Minister Ehud Barak has said that the neighborhood should be razed and rebuilt in another area of Beit El.
Observers say that Netanyahu’s ruling government coalition could break apart if the neighborhood is destroyed.
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