Israeli authorities advance planned settler expansion in heart of Hebron
Selasa, 27 Ogos 2019 11:24:29 PG
Israeli
occupation authorities have advanced plans to expand the Jewish settler
presence in the heart of Hebron, reported The Jerusalem Post .
According to the report, Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu ordered defence officials to allow settlers to register half
of a three-storey building opposite Ibrahimi Mosque “in the name of the
development company that claims to have purchased it from its Palestinian
owners”.
The other half of the structure, known by
settlers as ‘Beit HaMachpela’, “remains in the hands of the primary
Palestinians owners, the Abu Rajab family”, the paper added.
In 2012, 2013, and 2018, settlers attempted
to move into the building, prompting a Supreme Court ruling that the settlers
“must wait to move into the structure until the property is registered in their
name in the Land Registry”.
According
to The
Jerusalem Post, “Sunday’s actions offer the possibility that the
families can move into the structure”, but for now, Israeli military orders
barring such entry were still in force.
The lawyer for the Abu Rajab family, Samer
Shehadeh, “said he planned to appeal the decision to allow the building to be
registered on behalf [of the settlers]”. The Abu Rajab family “disputes the
settler’s purchase claim”, the report added.
Should settlers move into the building, the
paper added, “it would mark the continued expansion” of the settlers in the H2
area near the Ibrahimi Mosque.
Hagit Ofran of Peace Now urged the government
not to allow settlers to move into the building.
“A responsible government is expected to
refuse to submit to the dictates of an extreme minority group,” said Ofran. “It
must follow a clear policy that takes into account security considerations and
any future political settlement” with the Palestinians.
Source: Middle East Monitor