Settlement law draws global condemnation

Israel faced international criticism Tuesday over a new law allowing the appropriation of private Palestinian land for Jewish settler outposts, although the US remained notably silent.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the law is in violation of international law. “This bill is in contravention of international law and will have far-reaching legal consequences for Israel,” Guterres said.
The Arab League accused Israel of “stealing the land” of Palestinians.
“The law in question is only a cover for stealing the land and appropriating the property of Palestinians,” said the head of the Cairo-based League, Ahmed Aboul Gheit.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called the law an “attack against our people.”
Abbas said it was illegal and was “obviously against the wishes of the international community.”
Speaking alongside Abbas at a press conference in Paris, French President Francois Hollande said: “I want to believe that Israel and its government will reconsider this law.”
Britain, Turkey and Jordan were among those coming out against the legislation.
The law prompted a call by the Palestinians for the international community to punish Israel.
Pro-Palestinian Israeli NGOs said they would ask the Supreme Court to strike down the law, while Israeli opposition leader Isaac Herzog warned the legislation could result in Israeli officials facing the International Criminal Court.
France called the bill a “new attack on the two-state solution,” while Britain said it “damages Israel’s standing with its international partners.”
Turkey “strongly condemned” the law and Israel’s “unacceptable” settlement policy. 
UN envoy for the Middle East peace process Nickolay Mladenov told AFP the bill crossed a “thick red line” toward annexation of the West Bank — the largest part of the Palestinian territories.
“(The law) opens the potential for the full annexation of the West Bank and therefore undermines substantially the two-state solution,” he said.
The US, however, refused to comment, in stark contrast to the settlement criticism repeatedly voiced under Barack Obama.
The State Department said President Donald Trump’s new administration “needs to have the chance to fully consult with all parties on the way forward.”
Anti-settlement NGO Peace Now called the law “another step toward annexation and away from a two-state solution.”
To some Israelis, the law reflects their perceived right over the territory, regardless of the courts, the Palestinians and the international community.

Source: Arab News