#Israel halts financing of illegal #west_bank #Settlements over misuse of funds
▻http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/israel-halts-financing-illegal-west-bank-settlements-over-misuse-
Palestinians and Israeli activists hold a banner reading “No peace with settlements” as they take part in a protest denouncing the repeated refusals of the Israeli Prime Minister to dismantle Jewish settlements, on January 31, 2014, near Jericho in the occupied West Bank. (Photo: AFP - Ahmad Gharabli)
Updated at 1:40 pm: Israeli Finance Minister Yair Lapid has decided to suspend the transfer of public funds to West Bank settlements pending a probe into their alleged misuse, his office said. The move announced late Saturday was not expected to affect plans for illegal settlement expansion, which the Palestinians view as a major obstacle to US-backed peace talks relaunched last year. The decision came as Israeli politicians lashed out after comments by US (...)