STATE OF PALESTINE
Palestine Liberation Organization
Press Release
February 06, 2017
Dr. Saeb Erekat: Looting is Illegal. The Israeli Settlement Enterprise Negates Peace and the Possibility of the Two-State Solution.
While thousands of Palestinians in besieged Gaza are being terrorized by Israeli bombardments, the Israeli parliament has just approved a law to legalize theft of Palestinian land. Looting is illegal. All Israeli settlements in Occupied Palestine are illegal and a war crime regardless of any law passed by the Israeli parliament or any decision taken by any Israeli judge. The Israeli settlement enterprise negates peace and the possibility of the two-state solution.
Israel's "Legalizing theft" law is also another affirmation by the Israeli government for the Israeli settlers and occupation forces to continue their attacks against the land and people of Palestine. The systematic violations of Palestinian rights and lives must be stopped. The international community has the responsibility to take concrete measures to protect the Palestinian people under Israel's military rule, rather than merely issuing statements.
Nobody should have doubts about the Israeli government’s will to destroy any chances for a political solution. It's long overdue time to stop treating Israel as a state above the law and to hold it accountable for its systematic violations of international law, in defiance of the collective international will to act for peace.