The Israeli parliament passed on Tuesday the so-called ‘Emergency Regulations in Judea and Samaria’, The New Arab reported.
The “temporary” measure is voted on every five years. The bill was first adopted in 1967 after Israel occupied the West Bank. It addresses the legal status of Jewish settlers living in the occupied West Bank by maintaining their Israeli citizenship and rights, although they live beyond the green line— Israel’s internationally recognized borders.
Tuesday’s vote passed in the first reading.
The legislation allows Jewish settlers to appear in Israeli courts for offenses committed in the occupied West Bank. It also allows, contrary to international law, to arrest Palestinians from the West Bank inside Israel.
Palestinians call it the ‘apartheid law’ as it puts in place a two-tiered system—one for Jews and another for Palestinians.
The bill is expected to pass in the second and third readings.
(The New Arab, PC, SOCIAL)
