RAMALLAH, June 27, 2013 (WAFA) – Israel’s settlement activity is wiping out the two-state solution, member of the Palestine Liberation Organization’s negotiating team said Thursday.

Erekat was reacting to an Israeli decision to build 69 new housing units in the illegal settlement of Jabal Abu Ghneim (Har Homa) south of Jerusalem.

Erekat, who called on the international community to hold Israel accountable for its “systematic violations of international law,” said in a statement issued by the Negotiations Affairs Department that “settlement activity in and around Occupied East Jerusalem is one of the main reasons why the two-state solution is disappearing, as without East Jerusalem there will be no Palestinian state.”

The Israeli decision is taken on the eve of a visit to the region for US Secretary of State John Kerry.

“Israel has a selected repertoire awaiting US officials, like what happened to Mr. Biden (the US vice president), which includes settlements, settlements and more settlements,” he said. “It has played the same symphony since the signature of the Oslo Agreement in 1993 by almost tripling the number of settlers in 20 years, taking Palestinian land, lives and livelihoods in the process.”

Erekat said that in spite of an accelerated settlement activity, forced displacement, identity card revocations and home demolitions, Israel has signed several free trade agreements, including an Association Agreement with the European Union.

“In other words, Israel has been rewarded for its crimes, leaving Tel Aviv with no incentive to move for peace,” said Erekat.

“The international community should understand that in order to create the right environment for negotiations it should not grant impunity to Israel over its repeated crimes and violations. On the contrary, accountability is the best incentive to realign negotiations with international law. This is the only path towards a just and lasting peace between Israel and Palestine,” said Erekat.

M.S./F.R.