A group of European parliamentarians have decried Israel’s plan to annex large parts of the occupied West Bank as “illegal”, saying the scheme, which will deprive the Palestinians of their right to self-determination, should not “pass unchallenged.”
In a statement released on Wednesday, the lawmakers from the UK, France, Ireland, Belgium and Sweden vowed to challenge the Tel Aviv regime’s annexation bid in an attempt to “deter this criminal act.”
“We, the undersigned, share our deep concern at the threat of illegal Israeli annexation of part of the occupied Palestinian West Bank. Unilateral annexation of any part of the West Bank would be a grave breach of international law, and a further obstacle to achieving equal rights and self-determination for Palestinians. Annexation must not pass unchallenged,” the statement read.
According to Press TV, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu plans to annex about a third of the occupied West Bank, including settlements and the fertile Jordan Valley.
The scheme is, however, on hold amid deep divisions within Netanyahu’s coalition cabinet and against the backdrop of international condemnations.
The signatories to the document, titled “No to Israeli annexation plans,” stressed their approval of their respective governments’ statements that said the Israeli annexation would not be recognized because it violates international law.
They also commended the decisive votes in their parliaments in favor of the recognition of the Palestinian state on pre-June 1967 borders, warning Israel of consequences over the land grab initiative.
No comments:
Post a Comment