Dismay at Settlements.
 | By rushkin
December 21, 2011 | Share |
In a letter issued Tuesday, the four European member states of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), Britain, France, Germany and Portugal, condemned the recent Israeli announcement that the Israeli government had approved the construction of 1,000 new settlement units in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. In addition, South Africa, India and Brazil condemned the expansion.
The four European countries reiterated the fact that Israeli settlements on occupied Palestinian territories are considered illegal under international law, and said the Israeli decision to expand the settlements was a "wholly negative development," and will hinder a return to the negotiating table.
In their letter, the representatives wrote, "The viability of the Palestinian state that we want to see and the two-state solution that is essential for Israel's long-term security are threatened by the systematic and deliberate expansion of settlements," adding, "We condemn the disturbing escalation of violence by settlers, including the burning of mosques in the West Bank and Jerusalem....It is clear that these deliberately provocative attacks on places of worship were designed to aggravate tensions."
British Ambassador Mark Lyall Grant read the statement in a press conference in which he called on Israel to halt settlement expansion and prosecute any settlers found to have engaged in criminal activity.
The South African Ambassador, Baso Sangqu, read a statement signed by the 120-nation bloc of non-aligned countries in the UN General Assembly saying that Israeli settlements are "the main impediment to the two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict."
COMMENTS
Wed, 12/21/2011 - 15:12 Rate this: 0 points | It's not me who wrote the above. I am quoting the opinion of the community of nations - the standard opinion accepted by the international community. To repeat: "The viability of the Palestinian state that we want to see and the two-state solution that is essential for Israel's long-term security are threatened by the systematic and deliberate expansion of settlements," adding, "We condemn the disturbing escalation of violence by settlers, including the burning of mosques in the West Bank and Jerusalem....It is clear that these deliberately provocative attacks on places of worship were designed to aggravate tensions." Read out to the press by British Ambassador Mark Lyall Grant |
Wed, 12/21/2011 - 15:15 Rate this: 0 points | More from the statement from the EU members of the UN Security Council: "We have just heard a briefing from Mr Fernandez-Taranco about the situation in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian territories. One of the themes that emerged was the severely damaging effect that increased settlement construction and settler violence is having on the ground and on the prospects of a return to negotiations. The UK, France, Germany and Portugal are dismayed by these wholly negative developments. Israel’s continuing announcements to accelerate the construction of settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, including East Jerusalem, send a devastating message. We call on the Israeli government to reverse these steps. The viability of the Palestinian state that we want to see and the two-state solution that is essential for Israel’s long-term security are threatened by the systematic and deliberate expansion of settlements. Settlements are illegal under international law and represent a serious blow to the Quartet’s efforts to restart peace negotiations. All settlement activity, including in East Jerusalem, must cease immediately. |
Wed, 12/21/2011 - 16:08 Rate this: 0 points | This is also interesting - MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay (AP) — The Mercosur trade group of four South American nations has signed a free trade agreement with the Palestinian Authority. It's the first trade deal between the Palestinian territories and a bloc of nations outside the Arab world. But the deal is mostly symbolic because Israel strictly controls imports and exports involving the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Palestinian officials praise the deal as a step toward peace, but complain that Israel is holding back their economy. Israeli officials call it counterproductive to Mideast peace, but say they'll respect the decision of Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay. |
Wed, 12/21/2011 - 16:23 Rate this: 0 points | Yes we have heard all this before Israel stopped settlement activity for ten months to allow for negotiations - I do not recall all these hypocrites issuing any kind of condmenation or what have you when the Arabs refused to sit down and negotiate. |
Wed, 12/21/2011 - 16:24 Rate this: 0 points | Yes the Mercosur trade group has also called for a boycott of the Falkland Islands too! |
Wed, 12/21/2011 - 16:25 Rate this: 0 points | " .... illegal under international law" No they are not The US for one does not think so |
Wed, 12/21/2011 - 16:33 Rate this: 0 points | Yes, the US does and has said so on various occasions. The US doesn't act, unfortunately that much is true. But the US will act or it will be overtaken by events. Justice has its own momentum and justice for Palestine has a forward momentum. It is a cause embraced by millions around the world. |
Wed, 12/21/2011 - 16:34 Rate this: 0 points | 'The US for one does not think so' And who are the others? |
Wed, 12/21/2011 - 17:16 Rate this: 0 points | Wrong again. In February 2011 the US vetoed a Security Council resolution that would have declared the settlements illegal. http://jcpa.org/brief/brief2-16.htm The official US position has been that settlements are legal. Only the Carter administration for a short time held that settlements were illegal; this position was overturned by the Reagan administration. |
Wed, 12/21/2011 - 17:45 Rate this: 0 points | Don't bother with rushkin . He's a troll who also posts hate comments as Moeran over at CIF |
Wed, 12/21/2011 - 18:13 Rate this: 0 points | Sorry Hoffman Every country in the world regards the settlements as illegal. It being Israel the US chokes on the word " illegal " and says " illegitimate " . Can you explain to us a) How a legal settlement would be illegitimate b) Why the US wont locate its embassy in Jerusalem ? |
Wed, 12/21/2011 - 18:44 Rate this: 0 points | Every country in the world has not said they are illegal if they have then please produce your evidence for that claim. |
Wed, 12/21/2011 - 18:47 Rate this: 0 points | Advsr you are a fool.But that is not your real tragedy. Your real tragedy is that you are an amateur fool |
Wed, 12/21/2011 - 18:52 Rate this: 0 points | Armbach usual ad hominem (point 3 of my post) when you have no answer. Please provide evidence that every country has said the "settlements are illegal" or shut up! |
Wed, 12/21/2011 - 18:55 Rate this: 0 points | I can't be bothered.I am going to get Hoff man to do it. |
Thu, 12/22/2011 - 13:16 Rate this: 0 points |
not true, rushkin they didn't condemn it they only expressed dismay … see http://ukun.fco.gov.uk/en/news/?view=PressS&id=708021082 …
they did condemn recent deliberate provocative settler violence …
and they welcomed both the israeli government's condemnation of that violence and in particular netanyahu's response to it …
rushkin, your blog title "Settlements condemned" (by the eu security council) is simply untrue
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Thu, 12/22/2011 - 13:33 Rate this: 0 points | That is a very becoming wriggle you have there goldfish. But if you are right I am sure agreement can be reached on the return of Palestinian refugees to lsrael and the return of Jewish refugees to wherever they are refugees from. |
Thu, 12/22/2011 - 14:30 Rate this: 0 points | RRZ just being the good old disingenuous person that he is. When confronted by the truth having nothing of any substance to add he attacks the poster - (yawn) he is just so predictable. |
Thu, 12/22/2011 - 14:36 Rate this: 0 points | Don't expect hear anything anytime soon from the EU about Arab terrorism targeting Jews in Ramle which is on the rise. |
Thu, 12/22/2011 - 18:10 Rate this: 0 points | Could you provide us with a link to Ramle story Jose. |
Fri, 12/23/2011 - 11:59 Rate this: 0 points |
nooo, he commented on what i said (or maybe the way i said it) …
… there's no personal criticism (or "attack") there … and can't you see that you're doing exactly what you're (wrongly) criticising rrz for?
so, rrz, in your opinion (since you suggested it), would that be "just" and "fair"? |
Fri, 12/23/2011 - 12:23 Rate this: 0 points | Happy Goildfish you obviously have not followed RRZ's "progress" on this website. He has called jewish settlers scum and thieves engaging him only empowers him. |
Fri, 12/23/2011 - 12:29 Rate this: 0 points | Happy Goldfish: Regarding your reply above (22nd Dec 12:16) Point taken. |
Fri, 12/23/2011 - 15:37 Rate this: 0 points | you're welcome, rushkin! (sooo … are you going to edit the blog title to make it correct? |
)Fri, 12/23/2011 - 16:13 Rate this: 0 points | No need to patronise. it's unbecoming. And as for emoticons . . . . How old are you? |
MORE FROM THIS AUTHOR
Advis3r
Wed, 12/21/2011 - 15:09
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Blah blah and day is night and night is day - funny there were no settlements before 1967 and there was no peace what was the excuse then?
There was then and there is now and in the future there will be no peace because the Arabs maintain their longstanding rejection of the Jewish people's right to self determination whereas Israel is expected to accept "the inalienable rights of the Palestinians" whatever that is supposed to mean.
I would refer to my post below the post above represents number 1 - numbers 2 and 3 will follow shortly ending with one of the trolls trotting out the usual canard that Israel is a racist/apartheid/facist (take yor pick) state.
Question to rushkin the Palestinians have admitted that the "settlements" are constructed on land comprising less than 1% of the area you call the "West Bank" maybe you would explain to us how that is an impediment to peace?
I love the bit about the British Ambassador caling on Israel to prosecute the hooligans (Britain doesn't call its hooligans terrorists - why should we?) - as if we need to be told about prosecuting criminals if some members of the Knesset had their way they would be shot!