February 6, 2017 — New York, New York
AJC is deeply disappointed that the Knesset passed the Regulation Bill. The measure, adopted by a vote of 60-52, retroactively legalizes dozens of unauthorized settlement outposts in the West Bank which were built without government approval.
“The controversial Knesset action, ahead of Prime Minister Netanyahu’s meeting with President Trump in Washington, is misguided and likely to prove counter-productive to Israel’s core national interests,” said AJC CEO David Harris, a decades-long advocate for Israel’s security, well-being, and international standing in the U.S. and around the world. “Israel’s High Court can and should reverse this misguided legislation.”
In advance of the vote, Israel’s attorney-general had said that the bill likely violates international law, adding that he would be hard-pressed to defend the bill if it is challenged in the Israeli Supreme Court.
On December 5, 2016, AJC’s Board of Governors reaffirmed its long-standing support for a two-state solution. The statement emphasized that, notwithstanding the considerable challenges to a two-state solution, “it is the only realistic resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,” and that an alternative one-state reality would be “simply untenable” and “an abrogation of the Zionist ideal of a Jewish and democratic state.”
Further, AJC cautioned that “construction and the reclassification of outposts beyond the security barrier, and thus not anticipated to remain with Israel as a result of negotiated ‘territorial swaps,’ are not conducive to advancing prospects for peace.”
Photo By: Kara Newhouse
