GENEVA, February 27, 2017 (WAFA) – President Mahmoud Abbas Monday warned that the Israeli Parliament’s approval of a bill retroactively legalizing the expropriation of private Palestinian land by Israeli settlers is a step toward the establishment of an apartheid state.
Addressing the 34th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, Abbas condemned the Regularization Law describing it as “a very dangerous precedent” and urged the international community to “vehemently reject” it.
The law, also known as the formalization law, would retroactively legalize under Israeli law dozens of settlement outposts built on privately-owned Palestinian land in the occupied West Bank.
These outposts were built without official approval from Israeli authorities, but tacitly supported by successive Israeli governments, part of an effort to colonize as much Palestinian land in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, as possible. Under international law, all Israeli settlements, including outposts, are illegal.
“The confiscation of Palestinian land by Israel will leave no room for our people to establish a state, and in fact establishes one state with two systems, known as Apartheid – the primary source of incitement and violence,” Abbas said.
He urged for a prompt implementation of the United Nations Resolution 2334, which condemned Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem.
Rejecting any temporary solution to the Palestinian question, he said “It is impractical for the sake of peace and justice to discuss temporary solutions or merge the question of Palestine within the framework of regional affairs as the current Israeli government has attempted to do,” he said.
Abbas called on world countries to defend the two-state solution by recognizing the Palestinian state.
“In this respect we call on countries that have recognized Israel and believe in the two-state solution to defend and support this solution by recognizing the State of Palestine,” he said.
Abbas highlighted the pressing need for the UN and its agency, particularly the UN Security Council, to “take on their full responsibilities” in light of the grave and systematic escalations and widespread human rights violations of Palestinians’ rights.
He reiterated his demand for an international system to be established for the protection of the Palestinian people and a binding mechanism to be developed with a clear and definitive timeline.
Abbas condemned “all forms of terrorism” and reiterated his willingness to cooperate with all countries, including US President Donald Trump’s administration, to achieve comprehensive and just peace based on international law and resolutions.
Though Abbas did not specifically mention the US, he cautioned “concerned parties” against taking steps that “contribute to strengthening the Israeli occupation of the State of Palestine. This includes the support to the Israeli settlement enterprise, attacks against holy places, or moving embassies to Jerusalem.”
Abbas stressed his rejection to recognize Israeli “annexation” of Jerusalem and “the use of religion to achieve political ends”.
He called on the High Commissioner for Human Rights to compile a list of companies that support Israeli violations of human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories.
Abbas pledged to proceed with efforts with regards to rebuilding Gaza following the 2014 Israeli onslaught and taking necessary measures to lift the Israeli blockade.
K.F/M.H
