Palestinians Outraged over ‘Israeli’ Approval of New WB Settlement
Local Editor
The Palestinian people and the United Nations condemned Friday the ‘Israeli' Cabinet's approval of the first officially sanctioned new illegal settlement in the occupied West Bank in over 25 years.
The Security Cabinet gave its unanimous backing to the new illegal settlement late Thursday as what is widely seen as the most right-wing government in ‘Israeli' occupation history presses ahead with illegal settlement expansion in defiance of international concern.
Senior Palestinian official Hanan Ashrawi said the move showed ‘Israel' was pushing ahead with "their systematic policies of settler colonialism, apartheid and ethnic cleansing, showing a total and blatant disregard for Palestinian human rights."
"Israel is more committed to appeasing its illegal settler population than to abiding by the requirements for stability and a just peace," she said.
US President Donald Trump's administration refrained from criticizing the new settlement, but warned that further expansion could undermine ‘peace' efforts.
"While the existence of settlements is not in itself an impediment to peace, further unrestrained settlement activity does not help advance peace," a White House official said.
"Going forward ... the ‘Israeli' government has made clear ‘Israel's' intent is to adopt a policy regarding settlement activity that takes President Trump's concerns into consideration."
A spokesman for UN chief Antonio Guterres expressed "disappointment and alarm" at the move. "The secretary-general has consistently stressed that there is no Plan B for ‘Israelis' and Palestinians to live together in ‘peace and security.' He condemns all unilateral actions that, like the present one, threaten ‘peace' and undermine the ‘two-state solution,'" Stephane Dujarric said in a statement.
The new settlement will be constructed north of the former wildcat Jewish outpost known as Amona, which was razed in February in accordance with an ‘Israeli' High Court order.
Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team
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