Israel’s policies of apartheid and aggression threaten peace

In response to media inquiries regarding Israel’s opening of a new 'Apartheid Road’ in occupied Jerusalem and its surrounding areas, segregating Palestinians from Israeli settlers by an eight-meter-high wall, PLO Executive Committee Member Dr. Hanan Ashrawi strongly condemned such a move and said:

“The creation of this new apartheid road affirms Israel’s willful intent to entrench its racist colonial regime and superimpose 'Greater Israel’ on all of historic Palestine.

With the blanket support of the current US administration, including endorsement of Israel’s egregious violations and total disdain for international law and the global consensus, Israel is successfully destroying the territorial contiguity and territorial integrity the West Bank (including East Jerusalem) to enhance its colonial settlement enterprise and facilitate the creation of Bantustans throughout occupied Palestine.

We call on the international community, including the European Union, to confront these glaring manifestations of colonial racism and hold Israel accountable for its unlawful unilateralism and war crimes with effective concrete measures, including sanctions. Both have a legal responsibility and moral duty to hold Israel to the universal standards of human rights and international criminal law. Abdication of these responsibilities is inexcusable.”

In addition, Dr. Ashrawi denounced the daily Israeli military raids into the heart of Palestinian cities, including Ramallah and Al-Bireh, describing them as “campaigns of gratuitous terror against the civilian population that intend to assert Israel's absolute control.”

Dr. Ashrawi also condemned Israeli plans to appropriate 1,200 dunams (300 acres) of occupied Palestinian land in Bethlehem to expand the illegal settlements of Efrat and Gush Etzion, including land inscribed as world heritage under threat by UNESCO. She also decried the Israeli Finance Ministry’s decision to issue permits for a separate settlement plan that would steal 139 dunams of Palestinian land in the village of Deir Dibwan:

“The deafening silence of the international organizations and governments worldwide to Israel’s actions is allowing the Israeli occupation to destroy the remaining chances for a just peace and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Everyday, Israel is reaffirming its status as a rogue state that acts with persistent impunity. It is making a mockery of international law and all states that continue to turn a blind eye to its violations. This silence and inaction will further embolden Israel to escalate its campaign of aggression with impunity and threaten international peace and security.”

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