West Bank move
Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s incoming prime minister, has agreed to legalise dozens of illegal outposts in the West Bank in ongoing talks with his extreme-right coalition partners. According to Israeli media reports, Netanyahu agreed with Itamar BenGvir, a co-leader of the Religious Zionism faction, to legalise the outposts within the first 60 days of a coalition being sworn in. Outposts are small communities of Jewish settlers built on land taken from Palestinians in the West Bank and are illegal under Israeli and international law. Settlements, which are larger and also built on land taken from Palestinians, are supported by the Israeli government, but widely considered illegal under international law, though Israel disputes this. There are reportedly about 50 outposts currently in the West Bank and it is unclear if the decision was taken to legalise all of them, or a selected majority. The deal was agreed as part of ongoing coalition talks between Netanyahu and various political parties, which may throw up hurdles to implementing what is discussed. The changes would also require majority support in the Knesset, the Israeli parliament, which is not guaranteed at this stage. governing Liberal Democratic Party’s close ties to the Unification Church, which has been accused of problematic recruiting and brainwashing followers into making huge donations, often breaking up their families. elections, Obiang has never received less than 90 per cent of the vote, and one of the two opposition candidates said yesterday the ruling party appeared to be again committing electoral fraud. Andres Esono told journalists that his party had been receiving complaints all day from across the Central African nation, with many voters saying they were forced to cast ballots publicly rather than in secret. “What he is doing is massive fraud, even worse than on previous occasions,” Esono said of the 80-year-old incumbent. Esono was one of only two candidates running against Obiang in yesterday’s election. Fourteen of the country’s opposition parties joined an alliance with the authoritarian regime, which critics have long accused of intimidation, torture and corruption. In the streets of the capital, Malabo, Obiang’s posters have flooded public spaces in recent weeks with the message: “Vote for the right way, vote for continuity”. Only a handful of opposition posters could be seen. At a campaign event in Mongomo last week, the president shouted to the crowds: “Who’s your papa?” He urged voters to keep him in power, warning of the risks of political upheaval.