Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit officially notifies the High Court of Justice that he will not represent the state to defend the controversial bill legalizing West Bank settlement outposts.
The bill, which is being petitioned against by several West Bank municipalities, allows Israel to compensate Palestinians whose land has been taken over by settlers, instead of removing the outposts.
Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit attends a Constitution, Law and Justice Committee meeting in the Knesset, July 18, 2016. (Miriam Alster/Flash90)
In a letter to the court, Mandelblit says that due to “the exceptional circumstances of the case,” he will allow the state to be represented by a private lawyer.
Mandelblit has repeatedly said that he won’t be able to defend the law before the court, warning that it marks the first time Israeli legislation explicitly affirms government support for wildcat settlements, and would openly curtail property rights of Palestinians in the West Bank in a way that contravenes the protections granted to occupied populations under the Fourth Geneva Convention.
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