Illegal West Bank Outpost Is Legalized
The West Bank outpost of Bruchin received its charter, making it a legal settlement.
The town, located near Ariel and home to more than 100 families, is now part of the Samaria Regional Council.
The head of the Israel Defense Forces Central Command, Maj.-Gen. Nitzan Alon, signed an order Sunday giving the outpost legal status, The Jerusalem Post reported.
The change comes nearly four months after the Israeli government decided to legalize Bruchin and two other outposts – Sansana and Rechalim – which were founded in the 1990s on state land and with millions of dollars in assistance from the country’s Construction and Housing Ministry.
The European Union, the United Nations and the United States, as well as several other governments, condemned the legalization when it was announced in April.
Bruchin was highlighted as an illegal outpost in Israel’s Sasson Report published in 2005, which showed that millions of dollars were diverted from Israeli government agencies to build illegal settlements and outposts.
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