Top UK Diplomat Says Israeli Settlement Expansion in Palestine Undermines 2-State Solution
UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab on Thursday warned that the latest decisions of the Israeli authorities on the construction of over 2,500 new housing units in the West Bank and East Jerusalem put under risk the two-state solution concept
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 21st January, 2021) UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab on Thursday warned that the latest decisions of the Israeli authorities on the construction of over 2,500 new housing units in the West Bank and East Jerusalem put under risk the two-state solution concept.
Earlier in the week, the Israeli government issued tenders to build 2,572 new houses in the occupied Palestinian territories of West Bank and East Jerusalem.
"The UK has repeatedly urged Israel to end illegal settlement expansion in the West Bank. The decision to proceed with new settlements in Givat HaMatos [Jerusalem's neighborhood] separates Palestinians in East Jerusalem from Bethlehem [city in the West Bank], and threatens the viability of a two state solution," Raab tweeted.
The two-state solution to the long-term Israeli-Palestinian conflict envisages the creation of an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel. However, the parties have been unable to agree upon the border issue, with Palestinians demanding to return to 1967 borders and Israel rejecting the claim.
In the meantime, Israel continues its settlement activities on the occupied Palestinian territories despite the international pressure, which contributes to the escalation of tensions between the two countries.