Attorney and Likud activist Yossi Fuchs said, Sunday evening, that the state has the authority to expropriate land for security reasons under international law regarding sovereignty in territory taken during war. Reacting to the report that Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein opposed legislation to authorize unauthorized Jewish holdings in Judea and Samaria, Fuchs noted that three decades ago, the Supreme Court recognized the state's authority to establish and expand Jewish communities in those areas for security needs. He added that in cases where no ownership is proven but the land's owners are absentees, the issue is simpler.
Moreover, Fuchs said, "Distinguishedjuristsfrom the rightarguethat JudeaandSamaria arenotoccupied territory. On the contrary; the area wasoccupied bythe Jordaniansand returnedtoIsrael afterthe [Six Day] war, thestate hasa priority over anyother entityto apply itssovereigntyover the territory."