Arab foreign ministers rejected a recent US decision recognizing Israeli settlements among occupied Palestinians and warned Israel against annexing the Jordan Valley and parts of the occupied West Bank, saying the move was a threat to peace and a flagrant violation of international law.
After a meeting in the Arab League based in Cairo, Arab Foreign Ministers declared in a joint resolution that the US decision was void, illegal, groundless and violated the United Nations Charter and relevant United Nations resolutions.
Earlier on November 18, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced that the US government would no longer consider Israeli settlements in the West Bank as “inconsistent” with international law, a decision that could weaken the future of the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.
Pompeo said at a press conference that the decision, which reversed the Barrack Obama administration’s position on the issue, had been made based on the “reality on the ground.”
Following Pompeo’s statements, the Palestinian Authority asked the League of Arab States to convene an emergency ministerial meeting to discuss the US position on Israeli settlements. At the same time, Arab ministers warned that the US decision posed a real threat to regional and international security, peace and stability. They also said the US decision was aimed at legalizing and supporting the Israeli settlement, “which could undermine the Arab peace initiative.”
The foreign ministers warned against “exploiting the illegal cover provided by unilateral U.S. decisions to encourage the Israeli government to ratify legislation aimed at annexing the Jordan Valley and parts of the occupied West Bank, intensifying settlement and Judaizing the occupied city of Jerusalem.”–DT