Israeli PM vows to 'extend sovereignty' to West Bank settlements
- by Lorene Schwartz
- in People
- — Apr 8, 2019
"From my perspective, any point of settlement is Israeli, and we have responsibility, as the Israeli government".
Israel's prime minister has aligned closely with Donald Trump in his battle for political survival ahead of Tuesday's elections a troubling tactic for the roughly 75% of American Jewish voters who lean Democratic.
Up against a strong challenger and facing corruption charges, he has launched an attack against his opponent, the legal system and the media. The news comes amid reports that Netanyahu thinks Trump will back him on settlement annexation if the Palestinians reject the much-anticipated Israeli-Palestinian peace plan.
Most of the global community have long favored a so-called two-state solution.
In Gaza, Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri urged Abbas's Western-backed Palestinian Authority to halt its security cooperation with Israel in the occupied West Bank.
Writing also on Twitter, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu recalled that West Bank is a "Palestinian territory occupied by Israel in violation of int'l law". Pro-settler political forces in Israel, meanwhile, have continued to gain influence and seek the annexation of the West Bank settlements.
AIPAC has generally provided unflinching backing for Netanyahu's policies during his 13 years in power, even as some U.S. Jewish organizations have expressed reservations over Israel's lurch to the right.
Saeb Erekat, secretary of the PLO's executive committee, told Arab News: "Such a statement by Netanyahu is not surprising".
US count shows no Pakistan F-16s shot down in Indian battle
The news report has come at a time when India has taken up the use of F-16 by Pakistan in the 27 February dogfight. According to Foreign Policy magazine, Pak invited USA to physically count its F-16 planes.
Although there were no significant breakthroughs in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, which Oman has played a quiet role in fostering negotiations, the visit did raise fears of Israel's claims that it has developed good relations with several Arab states.
Saeb Erekat, the chief Palestinian negotiator and a close aide to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, said: "Israel will continue to brazenly violate worldwide law for as long as the global community will continue to reward Israel with impunity, particularly with the Trump Administration's support and endorsement of Israel's violation of the national and human rights of the people of Palestine".
Israel has settled about 400,000 Jews in West Bank settlements, with another 200,000 living in East Jerusalem.
He labelled Netanyahu's remarks as "a meaningless statement".
The move, which would be a sharp departure from long-standing Israeli government policy, was promised on in a television interview Saturday (local time).
The United States broke with decades of global consensus last month by recognising Israeli "sovereignty" over the occupied Golan Heights, territory Israel captured from Syria. How is it, who's going to win the race? However, the Trump administration has repeatedly challenged this, when it first recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital and moved its embassy there.
Netanyahu has faced fierce criticism both in Israel and among Jewish communities worldwide for his open alliance this election campaign with far-right elements who espouse the beliefs of the late Meir Kahane.
