UAE Condemns Israeli Call for Sovereignty Over West Bank
Damage caused by Israeli occupation forces in Jenin, West Bank, on Sept. 2, 2024.X/ @MayadeenEnglish
November 13, 2024 Hour: 7:48 am
Previously, Israeli Finance Minister said that Gaza and the West Bank would be ‘forever taken away’ from the Palestinians.
On Tuesday, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) strongly condemned recent remarks by Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who called for the imposition of Israeli sovereignty over the occupied West Bank in the coming year.
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In a statement, the UAE Foreign Affairs Ministry expressed its unequivocal rejection of “all provocative statements and measures” intended to alter the legal status of the occupied Palestinian territory. It underscored that such actions contravene international resolutions and risk escalating tensions, destabilizing the region, and obstructing efforts toward peace.
The ministry stressed the importance of supporting both regional and international initiatives to advance the peace process in the Middle East, reiterating that illegal practices undermining the two-state solution must be halted to enable the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.
In addition, the UAE Foreign Affairs Ministry called on the international community to work swiftly towards an immediate ceasefire to prevent further loss of life and to avoid worsening the situation in the occupied Palestinian territory, with the aim of achieving a comprehensive and just peace in the region.
On Tuesday, Qatar and Egypt called Israeli Finance Minister Smotrich’s remarks on Israel’s annexation of the West Bank “serious escalation,” “extremist” and “irresponsible.”
“They represent a flagrant violation of international law and United Nations Security Council resolution 2334,” said Qatar’s foreign ministry, which on Saturday suspended its mediation for a truce in Gaza due to a lack of progress and “seriousness.”
“These irresponsible and extremist statements… clearly reflect Israel’s orientation against the option of peace, and indicate the absence of a true Israeli partner capable of making courageous decisions in favor of peace,” an Egyptian statement said.
On Monday, Smotrich said that both Gaza and the West Bank would be “forever taken away” from the Palestinians. He also welcomed Donald Trump’s return to the White House as the perfect time to achieve Israeli sovereignty over the occupied territories.
Previously, Smotrich instructed the Defense Ministry’s settlement management division and the Israeli Army in the West Bank to begin preparing the infrastructure necessary to take over that territory.
teleSUR/ JF Source: Xinhua
