Washington—Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) today released the following statement on the Knesset’s vote to retroactively legalize outposts in the West Bank:

“The Knesset’s move to legalize outposts built on private Palestinian land is a dramatic step away from peace. The bill not only legalizes thousands of settler homes throughout the West Bank, it also encourages further expansion of settlements and outposts on land the Oslo Accords envisioned for a future Palestinian state.

“Without two states for two peoples, Israel simply cannot be the democratic homeland of the Jewish people. Today, there are nearly 400,000 settlers in the West Bank living in 129 settlements and approximately 100 illegal outposts. The effect of this bill will be to block the creation of a contiguous Palestinian state and kill any hope for peace. This bill stands in opposition to international law and the two-state solution and I hope it is quickly struck down by Israeli courts.”

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