Yisrael Ganz, the head of the Binyamin Regional Council, has condemned reports suggesting that the government plans to move the illegal Arab outpost of Khan al-Akhmar some 300 meters, to state-owned lands, thus circumventing a court order to dismantle the outpost.
"This government has surrendered and will now establish a new Bedouin community right in the heart of the region where it came to insinuate itself. In doing so, the government is awarding a prize to criminals who seek to settle on state-owned lands, sending a message to such criminals that this is the way to go if you want to establish an authorized Bedouin village.
"Instead of evacuating the site and suggesting that those who live there settle on any one of the existing communities in the area, the government of Israel is assistng Bedouins in taking over the land, fully cooperating with them," Ganz accused.