Netanyahu vows to annex all West Bank settlements

JERUSALEM

Israel's prime minister on Sunday renewed a pledge to annex all settlement blocs in the occupied West Bank, according to the Jerusalem Post newspaper.

"There won't be any more uprooting [of settlements]," Benjamin Netanyahu said at a ceremony opening the school year in the settlement of Elkana in the West Bank.

"With God's help, we'll apply Jewish sovereignty on all the settlements, as part of the land of Israel and as part of the state of Israel," he said.

Some 650,000 Israeli Jews currently live in more than 100 settlements built since 1967, when Israel occupied the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

The Palestinians want these territories -- along with the Gaza Strip -- for the establishment of a future Palestinian state.

International law views both the West Bank and East Jerusalem as "occupied territories" and considers all Jewish settlement-building activity there as illegal.

JERUSALEM

Israel's prime minister on Sunday renewed a pledge to annex all settlement blocs in the occupied West Bank, according to the Jerusalem Post newspaper.

"There won't be any more uprooting [of settlements]," Benjamin Netanyahu said at a ceremony opening the school year in the settlement of Elkana in the West Bank.

"With God's help, we'll apply Jewish sovereignty on all the settlements, as part of the land of Israel and as part of the state of Israel," he said.

Some 650,000 Israeli Jews currently live in more than 100 settlements built since 1967, when Israel occupied the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

The Palestinians want these territories -- along with the Gaza Strip -- for the establishment of a future Palestinian state.

International law views both the West Bank and East Jerusalem as "occupied territories" and considers all Jewish settlement-building activity there as illegal.