Settlers tour Palestinian areas near Bethlehem BETHLEHEM (Maan) -- A group of Israeli settlers on Sunday morning toured Beit Bassa on the outskirts of Beit Sahour east of Bethlehem under Israeli army escort, locals said. Witnesses said that the settlers were seen hiking in the valleys and hills near the village carrying bags on their backs with guides who accompanied them, along with the military escort. The area toured by settlers and Israeli troops is classified as Area A according the Oslo Accords and is thus technically under full Palestinian control. The group veered close to the homes of locals during the tour, witnesses said. Israeli soldiers regularly escort groups of Israeli Jews to areas in the West Bank under Palestinian control for religious visits, but armed touristic visits are less common. These visits are controversial, however, because locals charge that the treks often serve as gateways for Jews to establish settlements in the area they visit. A part of Beit Sahour known as Osh Ghrab is already home to an Israeli military base and weekly visits by settlers working to establish a permanent presence with trailers, presumably for the future establishment of a settlement in the area
Posted on: Sun, 21 Dec 2014 14:43:39 +0000
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