Palestinian Authority (PA) president Mahmoud Abbas on Monday slammed Likud party’s decision to annex West Bank settlements to Israel and described it as an “aggression” on the Palestinian people.
Abbas said in statements published by the PA official news agency Wafa that the Israeli decision prepares for the development of a political strategy for 2018 based on erasing the Palestinian presence in the occupied territories.
Abbas asserted that Israel would not have made such a “dangerous” decision if it did not have the absolute support of the US administration which refuses to condemn Israel’s settlement construction and systematic crimes against the Palestinians.
“We hope that this vote serves as a reminder for the international community that the Israeli government with the full support of the US administration acts against peace” Abbas said calling on the international community to take immediate action to stop this aggression against Palestinian rights and international resolutions.
The PA president added that Israel’s deliberate efforts to end hopes for peace will be met with more steadfastness by the Palestinian people.
Israeli ruling party Likud on Sunday evening voted unanimously in favor of a draft resolution to annex West Bank settlements to Israel.
The resolution is set to be passed to the Knesset to become a law although it is expected that Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will not act in accordance with Likud’s wishes in light of the US instructions to rein in settlement construction following the US recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital on 6th December 2017.
