The U.S. State Department expressed late Monday deep concern by Israeli bill that legalizes outposts built on Palestinian private lands.
Head of the State Department’s communications department Elizabeth Trudeau said during in her daily press briefing that if the bill is enacted into law it will pave the way for “the legalization of dozens of illegal outposts deep in the West Bank.”
The draft law represents “a troubling precedent.” Trudeau said which is contrary to past legal positions of the government of Israel and which contradicts long-standing Israeli policy not to build settlements on private Palestinian land.
“Israel needs to decide whether it wants to build more settlements or prefers to advance the two-state solution” Trudeau said.
The so-called “formalization bill” was approved by the Israeli Ministerial Committee for Legislation on Sunday and will now go to the Knesset for approval.
The international community has vehemently opposed Israeli construction in areas Israel occupied in 1967 saying it undermines the prospects of a two-state solution.
