PARIS, February 7, 2017 (WAFA) – President Mahmoud Abbas condemned on Tuesday the law passed by the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, that gave legal status to what had been considered by Israel so far as illegal settlement outposts as well as its settlement activities and considered them an aggression against the Palestinian people.
Speaking at a press conference after meeting French President Francois Hollande in Paris, Abbas the Palestinian government is going to follow up on these Israeli acts with the international courts.
“This bill is a breach of international law,” said Abbas about the settlements bill passed by the Knesset on Monday night. “We will continue our work with the international courts to protect our presence and existence on the land of Palestine.”
Abbas said he does not accept the latest Israeli announcements to build around 6000 new houses in West Bank settlements.
“This is an aggression against our people and we are going to confront it in international forums,” he said, calling on France and the international community “to help us implement (UN) Security Council resolution 2334 before it is too late.”
The Security Council voted in December in favor of a resolution condemning Israeli settlements, which it considered illegal and an obstacle to peace.
“What we want to achieve is peace with our neighbors and to get out of this big prison Israel is trying to keep us in and which it will eventually find itself paying its price,” said Abbas.
He warned that Israeli settlement policies are leading to the establishment of “one state, two systems, which is apartheid.”
The Palestinian leader said he discussed with Hollande the possibility of the US moving its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, which he said “is a violation of international law.”
He stressed that East Jerusalem is going to be a city open to all religions and the capital of the future Palestinian state.
Abbas condemned as well Britain’s announcement that it will be celebrating this year the 100th anniversary of the infamous Balfour Declaration of 1917, which promised a homeland for the Jews in Palestine at the expense of its local Arab population.
“We were surprised by this decision, which we condemn and demand that the British government should apologize to the Palestinian people for its destruction and disposition of our people and we demand that it recognizes the state of Palestine as called for by the British House of Commons in 2014,” said Abbas.
Abbas thanked France for holding the International Peace Conference last month in Paris.
He stressed the importance of implementing the conference’s recommendations, particularly the part that calls for establishing an international follow-up committee to help both Palestinians and Israelis reach a peace agreement in 2017.
“We, as state of Palestine, are ready to work with France to implement what the conference had called for and the terms of the final communiqué,” he said.
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