Of course, how dare they build homes in their own country!

(AFP) — The United States said Wednesday it opposes “any effort to legalize” settlement outposts on Palestinian land, after Israel set up a panel tasked with exploring ways to do so.

“The United States has a clear policy — we do not accept the legitimacy of continued Israeli settlement activity,” the State Department said in answer to a question posed at Tuesday’s news briefing.

“We oppose any effort to legalize settlement outposts, which is unhelpful to ourpeace efforts and would contradict Israeli commitments and obligations,” it said in a statement.

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Tuesday the establishment of a new committee charged with finding ways to legalize settlement outposts built on private Palestinian land.

The decision to set up a task force was taken after heavy pressure from the settler lobby and right-wing activists following the demolition in early September of three structures in the Migron outpost near Ramallah.