The Israeli government is refusing to publish a report on settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian lands, fearing it could harm relations with main ally Washington. Peace Now and the Movement for Freedom of Information in Israel had asked a Tel Aviv administrative court to order the publication of the Spiegel report. The report, compiled in 2006 by Baruch Spiegel, then advisor to the defence minister, contains full details about settlements built across the Green Line, which separates Israel from the lands occupied in the 1967 Middle East war. It is seen as the largest database ever compiled by state authorities on settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian lands revealing extensive building in key settlements, often on privately owned Palestinian lands. Its data came from the Civil Administrative and other Israeli government agencies as well as from photographic sorties carried out by civilian aircraft.
ISRAEL CONCEALS SETTLEMENT REPORT
The Israeli government is refusing to publish a report on settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian lands,
