Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad Maliki criticized the US government on Wednesday for “giving the green light” to Israel to do “whatever it wants with Palestinian land,” in regards to Israeli announcements of plans to build over 1,000 new illegal settlement units in the occupied West Bank.
Official Palestinian Authority (PA)-owned Wafa news agency reported that while speaking to the Voice of Palestine Radio, Maliki said that Israel’s announcement of its plans to build 1285 new settlement units in the West Bank was “one outcome of US President Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.”
Palestinian familiy have been told by Israeli Occupation Forces that their home in occupied East Jerusalem will be destroyed within 24 hours to make way for new Israeli settlements. pic.twitter.com/OHl9YoEhEJ
— CJ Werleman (@cjwerleman) January 3, 2018
Malki told the radio station that the Israeli decision was “also a result of the international community’s failure to hold Israel accountable for its acts, particularly with regard to settlement construction.”
US Ambassador to Israel wants State department to stop rhetoric on West bank settlements https://t.co/kNETAIxm4r
— justice one (@justiceonly) December 28, 2017
According to Wafa, he expressed concern that the international community was afraid to take a stand on settlements, which are illegal under international law, because of recent US threats to cut aid to states and organizations who defy American pro-Israel policies.
"[Israeli] settlements are such an absurd provocation and completely illegal." pic.twitter.com/I2C9h5FqJz
— Days of Palestine (@DaysofPalestine) January 10, 2018
Wafa added that Maliki said “Palestinian leadership cannot rely on anyone anymore,” though it will “continue to struggle against Israel’s ongoing violations on the political, diplomatic and legal fronts.”
(Maan, PC, Social Media)
