Israeli Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit. Photo: Roy Alima/Flash90.

JNS.org – Israeli Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit, who opposes the Knesset’s newly passed law to retroactively legalize 4,000 homes in outposts that sit on private Palestinian land, may argue against the measure in court, Israel’s Channel 2 reported Tuesday.

Mandelblit has repeatedly warned that the “Regulation Law” will not stand up to judicial scrutiny and will compromise Israel in the international arena. Last week, he officially informed Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked that if the law is challenged in Israel’s High Court of Justice, he would be unable to defend it. Shaked said that Knesset Legal Counsel Eyal Yinon would most likely be tasked with defending the legislation.

Three organizations — the Association for Civil Rights in Israel, Yesh Din and Peace Now — announced Tuesday that they plan to challenge the law in court. They also demanded that Mandelblit and Military Judge Advocate Maj. Gen. Sharon Afek instruct the civil administration in Judea and Samaria (the West Bank) to refrain from implementing the law until the court rules on it.

All three groups argue that the Regulation Law violates Israel’s Basic Law on human dignity and liberty, as well as international law. They have warned that Israeli officials who enforce the law may be liable to future prosecution by the International Criminal Court.