Outgoing Portuguese Representative Pedro Sousa e Abreu (L) and PLO Executive Committee Member Hanan Ashrawi (R) following a meeting in her office in Ramallah. 

RAMALLAH, July 3, 2017 (WAFA) - PLO Executive Committee Member Hanan Ashrawi Monday condemned Israel’s announcement to build 2,000 illegal settlement units in Occupied East Jerusalem and four plans for Jewish-only housing in the Palestinian neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah.

 She said in a press release that “such a decision would include the forced removal of Palestinian residents and a blatant attempt to sabotage any American effort to re-start the peace process.”

Ashrawi described building more settlement units and expanding illegal settlements as a provocative colonial behavior and a violation of international law that will trigger only violence and instability in the region and beyond.

“We call on the international community to stop Israel from expanding its illegal settlement enterprise in the West Bank, specifically Occupied East Jerusalem. Through the ethnic cleansing of our capital, Israel is attempting to strengthen the Jewish settler presence at the expense of our people, a deliberate breach of UN Security Council Resolution 2334,” she explained.

Ashrawi made these comments during a meeting in which she bid farewell to outgoing Portuguese Representative Pedro Sousa e Abreu at the PLO Headquarters in Ramallah.

She expressed appreciation to Abreu for his valuable service in Palestine and wished him the utmost success in his future endeavors and extended her gratitude to Portugal for its historic ties with Palestine and its continued support of the Palestinian cause.

Ashrawi urged Portugal to recognize the State of Palestine as to allow Palestinians to exercise their rights to self-determination and dignity.

Both parties discussed the latest political developments, in particular Israeli violations of international law and its deliberate destruction of the two-state solution and the chances for peace.

Ashrawi emphasized the need for internal reconciliation and elections in Palestine. The discussion also included developments in the region and globally, as well as the latest American diplomatic moves and the political role that the European Union is expected to play. 

M.H