PLO official says Israeli government tries to legalize settlements

A Palestinian official on Monday accused the Israeli government of "legitimizing" Jewish settlement on occupied Palestinian land in the recent dispute of five Jewish outposts in the West Bank, Kazinform cites Xinhua.

"The policies of the current Israeli government are based on one thing: expanding the settlements to prevent the establishment of an independent Palestinian state," said Yasser Abed Rabbo, a member of the Palestine Liberation Organization's (PLO) Executive Committee. "There is nothing left for the Palestinians but to go to the Security Council and all the United Nations bodies to condemn the settlement," Abed Rabbo added.

The PLO official also criticized the international tone in dealing with Israel's settlement plans, and urged the international community to "intervene effectively to make a breakthrough on the (Palestinian-Israeli) peace process."

Israel's Supreme Court ordered the government to demolish five outposts built by Jewish settlers on West Bank land claimed by Palestinians as privately owned.

On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu presented a plan to reallocate the houses to the nearby Beit El settlement, and several ministers of his government supported the plan.

However, many political leaders in Israel are against the demolition plan, arguing that the settlers bought the land through legal procedures.

Israeli settlement construction in occupied Palestinian land is the most disputed issue in the Palestinian-Israeli peace process. Differences on the issue broke down their peace talks in 2010.