Israel approves new settlement before two days of polls

JERUSALEM, Sept 15 (Agencies): Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government approved a new settlement in the occupied West Bank on Sunday, his office said, just two days ahead of closely fought general elections.
Netanyahu's cabinet agreed to turn the wildcat settlement of Mevoot Yericho in the Jordan Valley into an official settlement, the premier's office said.
All settlements are viewed as illegal under international law, but Israel distinguishes between those it has approved and those it has not.
Sunday's approval follows Netanyahu's pledge last week to annex the Jordan Valley, which amounts to one-third of the West Bank, if he wins Tuesday's elections.
"The government passed the PM's motion to build Mevoot Yericho," a statement from Netanyahu's office said as the weekly cabinet meeting was convened ceremoniously in the Jordan Valley.
Netanyahu has also said he intends to annex settlements in the wider West Bank, but in coordination with US President Donald Trump, whose long-awaited peace plan is expected to be released after the election.
The prime minister's annexation plans could effectively destroy any remaining hopes for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The Palestinians, the European Union and the United Nations condemned Netanyahu's Jordan Valley announcement last week.
Netanyahu said the Jordan Valley annexation would not include Palestinian cities such as Jericho, but it would effectively be encircled by Israeli territory.
Netanyahu is locked in a tough re-election battle with ex-military chief Benny Gantz and his Blue and White centrist alliance, and right-wing nationalist votes are key for his Likud.
Meanwhile, visibly frantic Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is in the fight of his political life as the country heads to national elections for the second time this year.
Netanyahu is locked in a razor tight race and faces the likelihood of criminal corruption charges. That's why a decisive victory in Tuesday's vote may be the only thing to keep him out of the courtroom.
A repeat of the deadlock in April's election, or a victory by challenger Benny Gantz, could spell the end of the career of the man who has led the country for the past decade.
But it may well be the things he can't control - including a former political ally turned rival and attacks by Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip - that bring him down.