Attorney: Justice Min. plan would 'launder' illegal West Bank outposts

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A Justice Ministry proposal would "launder" several illegal outposts and even enable them to receive government funding, according to Attorney Talia Sasson. The proposal is to be discussed next Sunday by a ministerial committee on settlement outposts, and Sasson's report on the matter was meant to serve as the basis for the committee's work.

The proposal would also transfer most of the defense minister's authority over the settlements to a six-member committee comprised of four Kadima ministers (the prime, justice, housing and interior ministers) and only two from Labor (the defense and agriculture ministers).

In a letter sent on July 10 to then-justice minister Haim Ramon, Attorney General Menachem Mazuz and proposal author Malkiel Blass, Sasson said the proposal would "subvert the basic principles that underlie the outpost report." It would indeed "change the situation, but in the opposite direction of original intention," she wrote.

According to Sasson, the Justice Ministry proposal discards her list of illegal outposts and replaces it with a much smaller list prepared by the Defense Ministry. Moreover, she said, neither the proposal nor the Defense Ministry list offers any definition of what constitutes an illegal outpost.

Haaretz

[Tom Joad]

1. No Palestinians on the 6 member committee? I'm shocked.

Good ol' fashion Israel-style apartheid. Paid for with US taxpayer money.

[FlavaKreemSnak]

2. Do you think they will put settlements in Lebanon?

I don't mean right away because it is still in the news a little bit and also they still have a bunch more of it to get bombed and occupied and even with the European troops helping them it will take some time because there are so many Lebanese people who are against it, but I mean, is it just the water, or is it also settlements that they want it for?

Or is it all just part of some plan we have to get Iran invaded but sort of sneaky, like they did a long time ago with Cambodia? It is called mission creep and maybe the operation to occupy Lebanon will creep into Iran.

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3. No, they won't stay in Lebanon.

And with no occupation, there will be no "settlements" either.

[lumpy]

4. I wish I could be as optimistic.

Despite feeble attempts by the world community and Israel's reluctance to loosen the grip of their iron fist in Gaza, I have a leaden feeling that Israel will not easily let go of the military advantage they have gained in Lebanon. Their demands to seal off the Lebanon border from Syria, if it goes unchallenged, will leave the wedge they are counting on to continuing the subjugation of Lebanon. I have no faith that Israel will give up any power they have gained in the attempt to protect their own borders by incursion into what they consider enemy territory. Israel has been successful in their occupations of bordering territories because of lack of interest and action by the world at large. It wouldn't be surprising if Israel doesn't concede an inch whether by continuing tactical attacks or completely ignoring any agreements.