Dr. Ashrawi condemns Israel’s latest approval of the construction of 550 settlement units in Occupied Jerusalem and the demolition of Palestinian homes in Beit Hanina and Sur Bahir
Today, PLO Executive Committee member, Dr. Hanan Ashrawi condemned Israel’s latest approval of the construction of 550 settlement units in Occupied Jerusalem and the demolition of Palestinian homes in Beit Hanina and Sur Bahir:
“It is evident that Israel is isolating Jerusalem from its Palestinian environment by means of apartheid walls, checkpoints and rings of settlements. The Palestinian citizens of Jerusalem continue to suffer at the expense of Israel’s policies of ethic cleansing which include home demolitions, annexation of Palestinian land, and the revocation of Jerusalem IDs.”
“Israel is engaging in the deliberate provocation of the Palestinians to drive them to leave the negotiations in protest of Israeli violations, and therefore be blamed for the destruction of the peace process. Clearly, it is Israel and its violations of international and humanitarian law that constitute an Israeli attempt to ensure the failure of negotiations and the destruction of the two-state solution. Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, is deliberately sending a strong message to the United States, Europe and the rest of the world that it has no intention of adhering to international law and the will of the international community.”
“Israel is not only capable of sabotaging the talks, but it is flagrantly destroying the chances of peace and stability throughout the region,” concluded Dr. Ashrawi.
In addition, Dr. Ashrawi met with Ambassador Junya Matsuura, Representative of Japan to the State of Palestine at the PLO Headquarters in Ramallah.
During the political briefing, both parties discussed Palestinian-Japanese relations, as well as the ongoing negotiations, Israeli violations and issues of mutual cooperation.
In the meeting, Dr. Ashrawi called on the Japanese Parliament and its to play an increased political role in ending Israeli violations and helping the Palestinians establish an independent state on 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.
She also urged Japan to follow the European example in promoting governmental policies in line with human rights and terminating projects and activities with links to the military occupation and to the illegal settlement enterprise.
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To access this brief on the PLO DCI website, please click here.
February 5, 2014
Press release
PLO Executive Committee
Department of Culture and Information