PLO Executive Committee Member Dr. Hanan Ashrawi strongly denounced the adoption of the “Regularization Law” that legalizes Israel’s annexation of privately owned Palestinian land on which illegal settlements and outposts were constructed in the occupied West Bank:“Such a law signals the final annexation of the West Bank.

Not only does it attempt to retroactively legalize the settlements and outposts built on Palestinian private property, it also gives clear license to the settlers to embark on a land grab in the occupied West Bank with impunity.

With the “Regularization Law,” Israel is authorizing the unlawful act of land theft and its illegal settlement activities which are a war crime under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and an egregious violation of international law and conventions, including UNSC resolution 2334. All settlements are illegal, whether on private property or on state land that belongs to the Palestinian collective as a whole.

This also proves beyond doubt that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his extremist, racist coalition government are deliberately breaking the law and destroying the very foundations of the two-state solution and the chances for peace and stability.

It is imperative that the international community, including the United States and the European Union, assumes its moral, human and legal responsibilities and puts an end to Israel’s lawlessness and its system of apartheid and ethnic cleansing; accountability should include punitive measures and sanctions before it is too late.

Despite being a captive people under occupation, we will resist such expansionism and oppression, and we will continue to pursue all diplomatic and legal channels to oppose Israeli violations and defend our people’s right to self-determination, justice and freedom.”

Dr. Saeb Erekat: Looting is Illegal.

The Israeli Settlement Enterprise Negates Peace and the Possibility of the Two-State Solution.

Saeb Erekat, a senior Palestinian diplomat, has said that :” While thousands of Palestinians in besieged Gaza are being terrorized by Israeli bombardments, the Israeli parliament has just approved a law to legalize theft of Palestinian land. Looting is illegal.

All Israeli settlements in Occupied Palestine are illegal and a war crime regardless of any law passed by the Israeli parliament or any decision taken by any Israeli judge.

He added that:” the Israeli settlement enterprise negates peace and the possibility of the two-state solution.

Israel’s “Legalizing theft” law is also another affirmation by the Israeli government for the Israeli settlers and occupation forces to continue their attacks against the land and people of Palestine.

Israel’s systematic violations of Palestinian rights and lives must be stopped. The international community has the responsibility to take concrete measures to protect the Palestinian people under Israel’s military rule, rather than merely issuing statements. It’s long overdue to hold Israel accountable for its systematic violations of international law, in defiance of the collective international will to act for peace.

Nobody should have doubts about the Israeli government’s will to destroy any chances for a political solution. It is overdue time to stop treating Israel as a state above the law Erekat said .

Source :PNN