Dr. Ashrawi: This signals the final demise of the two-state solution
In the strongest terms, PLO Executive Committee Member Dr. Hanan Ashrawi condemned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s and Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman’s approval of more than 3,000 illegal settlement units in the Occupied West Bank; this decision comes just one week after Netanyahu and Lieberman authorized 2,500 units in the Occupied West Bank and the Jerusalem Municipality Planning and Construction Committee approved the permits for more than 550 units in Occupied East Jerusalem:
“Such a frenzied escalation of Israel’s illegal enterprise signals the final demise of the two-state solution. The silence of the new American government, including those who actively support the settlements in the White House and the administration as a whole, has emboldened Netanyahu to persist with his settlement activities. All settlements are a war crime under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and constitute a direct violation of international law and conventions, including UNSC resolution 2334. It is evident that Netanyahu and his racist coalition government are carrying out such dangerous and disastrous measures in collusion with the most extreme settler elements to displace Palestine and replace it with “Greater Israel.”
The enormity and severity of the situation should send a strong message to the international community, including the United States and the European Union, to intervene immediately and bring about an end to all settlement activities and Israel’s illegal unilateralism. We also call on UN Secretary-General António Guterres to ensure respect for Security Council resolutions, including UNSC resolution 2334, and to make certain that Israel complies with them. Without a territorially viable and contiguous Palestinian state, there will be no peace or stability and the entire region will explode and plunge into grave violence and chaos.”