The mayor of the illegal Jewish settlement of Beitar Illit has said that he has ordered Arab passengers to be removed from buses, Israeli media reported on Tuesday.

The passengers were denied entry even if they hold a blue ID card, which is the permanent residency ID given to Palestinians from East Jerusalem.

“The police can interrogate me if they want to,” said an unrepentant Meir Rubenstein. He insisted on his decision being acted on despite the Israeli police and Ministry of Defense asking him to retract it.

Rubenstein said that buses were stopped at the entrance to the settlement and dozens of Palestinians with blue identity cards were removed from them.

The settlement mayor was arrested last year on suspicion of involvement in a murder in Jerusalem in 1990. He was released due to a lack of evidence.

All Jewish settlements and settlers are illegal under international law.

(PC, MEMO)