Settlement umbrella group lauds legal opinion that’ll pave way to legalization of outpost

The Yesha settlement umbrella council lauds a Justice Ministry legal opinion that green-lights the expropriation of private Palestinian land in a move that would pave way for the legalization of an Israeli outpost in the central West Bank.

“We thank everyone who dealt with this issue and brought about this solution,” the Yesha Council says in a statement.

“We hope that the planning and legalization procedures will be implemented in the shortest possible time.”

The umbrella group representing all Israeli council chairmen in the West Bank says it hopes to see additional efforts made by the state to legalize other outposts throughout the West Bank.

Today’s opinion allows the temporary seizure of land by Israeli authorities in order to pave an access road to Haresha, which sits near the Talmon settlement.

While Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit ruled in November 2017 that the Palestinian land could be permanently expropriated so long as the original owners were compensated, the Justice Ministry legal opinion recommends that the access road be paved in the form of a tunnel underneath the private Palestinian land leading to Haresha.

The paving of an access road is the last step required by the state before it can legalize Haresha. The state over a decade ago alerted the High Court it intends to do.