A top Israeli official has reportedly said a large Jewish settlement in the West Bank was built on private Palestinian land. The Haaretz daily says the comments by Vice Premier Haim Ramon confirm that construction of the Ofra settlement violated a 1979 Supreme Court order. Haaretz said in its report Tuesday that Ramon got his information about the settlement from Israel's defense ministry. It says this information could have legal implications for Palestinians seeking compensation for land claims. The Palestinians claim all of the West Bank for a future independent state. About 270,000 Israelis live in West Bank settlements. Haaretz says that Ramon made the remarks to a parliamentary committee in February. It wasn't clear why the remarks were only made public on Tuesday, according to a report of the Associated Press.
