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Controversy Erupts Over Settlement On Eve of Kerry Visit to Israel

A report from the settlement of Beit El, north of Ramallah.
A boy watches as a crane lowers the belongings of families moving out of the Ulpana neighbourhood of the Beit El settlement June 26, 2012. Settlers on Tuesday began moving out of apartment blocs that Israel's Supreme Court ruled had been built illegally on Palestinian-owned land, after reaching an agreement with the government to go quietly. His  T-shirt reads, "Ulpana neighbourhood, will return".  REUTERS/Baz Ratner (WEST BANK - Tags: POLITICS RELIGION) - RTR3463H
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It’s a free-for-all in Settlers’ land, as long as you’re not a Palestinian.

The best example of this is the saga behind the request to allow a new neighborhood to be built in the settlement of Beit El, right before Secretary of State John Kerry visits the region. It is absolutely crystal clear. Our story began two years ago, when Meir Dreinoff, a private contractor from Beit El, started putting up two buildings west of the settlement, without first obtaining the proper approval. The Palestinian owners of the land sued, and the state responded unequivocally in court that the construction was illegal and that the buildings would be demolished immediately.

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