Israeli Prime Minister rules out removal of settlements from West Bank
(VOVWORLD) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed Wednesday never to remove Jewish settlements from the West Bank, even to secure a possible deal with the Palestinians.
 The settlements have been considered a major obstacle to peace between Israel and Palestine (Photo: VNA)
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The statement was made at ceremony in Kfar Etzion to mark the 50-year anniversary of settlements built on land seized by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war.
At the ceremony, Education Minister Naftali Bennett, who is also leader of the Jewish Home party, called on the government to annex the West Bank. Dozens of activists with Peace Now, a human rights group, protested outside the settlement where the ceremony was held. They held signs saying the settlements are ruining Israel and hurting any chance for peace. The international community has repeatedly warned Israel that the settlements are a major obstacle to peace because they are on land where the Palestinians hope to build their future state.