Israel’s parliament has approved a draft bill to legalise thousands of Jewish settlements on privately-owned Palestinian land in the West Bank. <br /><br /> Washington has described the move as troubling, saying it could pave the way for dozens of outposts without Israeli government authorisation. <br /><br /> The vote in the Knesset passed by 57 to 52 votes. <br /><br /> Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is said to have initially tried to stall the measure pushed by right-wing members of his government, fearing an international backlash and legal implications.<br /><br /> On Sunday, Israeli settlers demonstrated for MPs to approve the bill and for the evacuation of the disputed outpost of Amona to be halted. <br /><br /> The measure must now pass through three readings in parliament and also be ratified by the Supreme Court before it can become law. <br /><br /> If approved, critics, say the measure will apply to thousands of settlements currently considered illegal and also permit, what they call the ‘‘theft’‘, of any Palestinian owned land.<br />
