Criticism Of The Israeli Government Regarding The Post Of Jewish Settlements In The West Bank, US: We Are Very Disturbed, Not Consistent With Commitment

Illustration of the Israeli security forces post in the Jewish settlement area, West Bank. (Wikimedia Commons/Ralf Roletschek)

JAKARTA - United States President Joe Biden's administration rebuked Israel on Sunday for an order allowing Jewish settlers to build permanent presence at a post in the West Bank, while Washington had previously issued a warning not to legitimize it.

Israel's head of military headquarters signed an order on Thursday last week, allowing Israelis to enter the outpost area of Homesh, paving the way for an official settlement to be built there.

The US State Department has repeatedly called on Israel to refrain from escalating tensions with Palestinians, such as inaugurating settlers' posts, in particular warning them of Homesh.

"We are deeply disturbed by the Israeli government's order to allow its citizens to build permanent settlements at the Homesh post in the northern West Bank, which Israel's law says is built illegally on Palestinian land," US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in a statement.

"The order is inconsistent with the commitment of the Israeli government made in 2004 and recently to Biden Administration officials," Miller said.

Meanwhile, the French Foreign Ministry also criticized the move, which he said was against international law and violated the commitments made by Israel at this year's regional meeting in Aqaba and Sharm el-Sheikh.

In this regard, the Israeli Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

An Israeli official, speaking on condition of not being named, said the order was intended to allow Israelis to remain in an existing religious school at Homesh, as well as the government has no intention of rebuilding the settlement or allowing Israeli presence on Palestinian private land.

"We have promised to normalize the continuation of the Torah study at the Homesh seminary and we keep it," Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said in a tweet on Twitter last weekend.

The criticism from the US comes after months of escalating violence between Israelis and Palestinians, who have tested relations between Washington and its main allies in the Middle East.

Earlier on Sunday, Israeli Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, part of the ruling far-right government in December, visited the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex, a holy place for Muslims and Jews, known as Temple Mount, declaring Israel "responsible."

In this regard, Miller said Washington was also concerned about "provocative visits" and "inciting rhetoric."

"This holy place should not be used for political purposes, and we call on all parties to respect itsmalities," he said, reaffirming the US position that the status quo should be maintained in Jerusalem's holy places.

It is known, Ben-Gvir continued to visit the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex earlier this year, despite warnings and criticism from the international community, Palestinians, the United States to the Israeli internal circle, including former PM Yair Lapid.

"This is what happens when a weak prime minister is forced to entrust the Middle East's most irresponsible person to the Middle East's most exploding spot," Lapid wrote on Twitter on January 3.

"The Israeli state did not accept orders from anyone regarding its security, but fighting with half the world just so Ben Gvir spent 13 minutes at Temple Mount was Netanyahu's political irresponsible attitude and extraordinary weakness in front of his ministers," Lapid tweeted again.

מדינת ישראל לא מקבלת תכתיבים מאף אחד לגבי בטחונה, אבל לריב עם חצי עולם רק כדי שבן גביר יבלה 13 דקות על הר הבית זה חוסר אחריות מדיני וחולשה מדהימה של נתניהו מול שריו.

— יאיר לפיד - Yair Lapid (@yairlapid) January 3, 2023

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