UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, has called upon Israel to abandon its plan to annex 30% of the Occupied West Bank region, claiming it would be the “most serious violation of international law”. More than 1,000 European MPs have signed a letter denouncing the plan.
Backed by the USA, the annexation plan would further damage prospects of a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine. According to The Guardian, Israeli nationalists see Trump’s presidency as a unique opportunity to carry out the annexation; Trump has already reduced aid to Palestinians and cut diplomatic ties. Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Malki claimed, “Israel is testing the resolve of the international community, thinking that its colonial apartheid will prevail”.
Israeli PM, Benjamin Netanyahu, claimed the plan will write another “glorious chapter in the history of Zionism”. However, this “glorious chapter” may be at the cost of thousands of Palestinian lives. 300,000 Palestinians are at the risk of death or displacement. If all goes to Israel’s plan, Palestinian land, property and natural resources will be confiscated, stripping West Bank Palestinians of rights and citizenship. To further establish apartheid, Palestinian cities will be divided by Israeli military checkpoints and Jewish-only settlements.
Written by Sufia Jafri
Media by Ben Hyland
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