Israeli group asks apex court to halt settlement expansion

JERUSALEM (AFP) - An Israeli anti-settlement group on Thursday asked the Supreme Court to block what it said was the illegal expansion of an Jewish settlement in the occupied West Bank.
Peace Now said construction of 25 new houses in the Halmish settlement north of the Palestinian political capital Ramallah began in November 2008 without valid planning permission.
In order to prevent a public outcry over such construction, the new tactic is to build illegally, without official overt government authorisation and without valid planning permission, the group said.
This is an attempt by the government to avoid its responsibility and avert public criticism.
Peace Now decided to appeal the Supreme Court requesting that it forces the government to uphold the law and to stop this illegal construction taking place in Halmish, the group said.
The Haaretz newspaper said construction in West Bank settlements has been accelerating for months, putting Israel on a collision course with the US administration.
Israeli settlements on occupied land are viewed as one of the main stumbling blocks in the Middle East peace process and Israels main ally Washington has on numerous occasions spoken out against the continued expansion.
Peace Now estimates that there are about 280,000 Israeli settlers living in some 121 settlements in the West Bank. Another estimated 200,000 live in annexed east Jerusalem.