Arab parliament condemns Israel’s settlement expansion scheme

Cairo: The Arab Parliament Saturday condemned the Israeli occupation authority's decision to legalize five settlement outposts in the West Bank, and impose taxes on churches and their institutions in occupied Jerusalem as "a blatant affront to and serious violation of" international law and international legitimacy resolutions, notably Security Council Resolution 2334. The Israeli government has advanced plans for more than 3,400 new homes in settlements in the occupied West Bank, about 70% of them in Maale Adumim, east of Jerusalem. Israel has also initiated tax proceedings against churches, which church leaders condemned as "a coordinated" attack on the Christian presence in the Holy Land. "The occupation authority's attempts to legalize settlement outposts and greenlight building more settlements in the West Bank are a dangerous and deliberate attempt to liquidate the Palestinian cause, amid the ongoing war of genocide, ethnic cleansing and forced displacement of the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and the occupied Palestinian territories. Added to these is the dangerous escalation of violations and crimes by extremist settlers in the West Bank," the Arab Parliament said in a statement. It said the Israeli occupation authority is to account for the consequences of these practices that exceeded all boundaries and were a blatant challenge to the international community and a gross violation of international law, adding that such actions will undermine efforts to achieve the two-state solution. It urged the United Nations Secusity Council and the international community to act promptly and urgently to stop Israel's settlement plans, which aim to change the existing historical and legal status quo in the occupied Palestinian territories, counter "these racist crimes" and hold the perpetrators accountable and protect the Palestinian people. Source: Jordan News Agency