The Palestine Liberation Organization said today, Saturday, that Israel is strengthening its settlement in the occupied West Bank by building temples (synagogues), considering this more dangerous than the settlement itself.
This came in a weekly report in which the National Center for the Defense of Land - affiliated with the Palestine Liberation Organization - monitors settlements and Israeli violations in the occupied territories.
The office added that the occupation government and the settlement councils - in their continuous endeavor to establish settlements and strengthen their presence in the West Bank, including occupied Jerusalem - intend to establish synagogues for Jews in many settlements and outposts.
In his report, he said that these synagogues will be presented within the Israeli government's national priorities plan.
He indicated that more than $6 million will be distributed to 30 settlements and outposts, claiming that there is a shortage of synagogues or buildings designated for holding Jewish religious rituals.
According to the office, the goal of the Israeli plan is to impart sacredness and a false religious dimension to the land and place through religious settlement, which is more dangerous than any other settlement.
He pointed out that the project was drafted by the Minister of Religious Affairs in the Israeli government, Matan Kahane, of the Yamina party headed by Prime Minister Naftali Bennett.
The Palestinian office says it is the first time that supporting and establishing synagogues has been a priority for settlements.
He stated that the project to build temples comes within the context of granting more concessions to the settlements, in order to promote and strengthen settlements and restrict the Palestinian presence.
Palestinian and Israeli estimates indicate that there are about 650,000 Israelis living in settlements in the West Bank, including occupied Jerusalem, and in 164 settlements and 116 outposts.