The head of the Efrat Local Council, a West Bank town, says the European Union is an “exemplar of duplicity.”
Oded Ravivi, a lawyer by training, criticizes the EU for allegedly sponsoring illegal construction in the West Bank for Palestinian housing. His comments come after the Knesset Subcommittee on Judea and Samaria convened yesterday to discuss illegal Palestinian construction in the West Bank, where Civil Administration officials presented 140 instances of illegal construction activity conducted by European sponsors including the EU.
“The EU is an exemplar of duplicity in a guise of defending human rights,” says Ravivi. “On the one hand it condemns ‘illegal’ construction by Jews in Judea and Samaria and on the other hand it builds illegally for the Palestinians. Building not according to plans, without connecting [houses] to infrastructure, while creating [environmental] harm and violating planning and construction laws,” Ravivi says.
“I believe,” he adds, “that peace will come when these masters will leave the area and let us and the Palestinians live side by side. I invite them to Efrat to witness with their own eyes the coexistence between Palestinians and residents of Efrat.”
He adds that he wishes to commend Coordinator of Government Activity in the Territories Maj. Gen. Yoav Mordechai who said during yesterday’s discussion that the state will take active measures against anyone who conducts illegal construction in the West Bank.
Government Coordinator in the Territories Brigadier general Yoav Mordechai (L) speaks with Oded Ravivi, head council of Efrat, during a tour expanding the settlement of Efrat in Gush Etzion on January 25, 2015. (Gershon Elinson/Flash90)
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