Palestinians condemn US settlements stance as 'dangerous'
Mona Kandil
Press TV, Ramallah
Once again, the United States’ administration has angered the Palestinians and much of the international community after its Secretary of State Mike Pompeo declared his country does not consider Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank to be in violation of international law.
Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said the move means replacing international law with the law of the jungle. He added in a press briefing that the US has lost its credibility and can no longer play any role in the Middle East peace process.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has, meanwhile, praised the US move, saying it rights a historical wrong.
Observers say Trump is now removing what has been an important barrier to the annexation of Palestinian territories.
But for the international community, settlements are illegal. The European Union's foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, has reiterated Israeli settlements are illegal and erode the viability of the two-state solution and the prospects for a lasting peace.
Palestinians see in the US move a green light for Israel to easily annex West Bank settlements and with American recognition. They stress that the move marks another significant instance in which the Trump administration has sided with the Israeli occupation, so Palestinians cannot get even their simplest rights.
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