Despite possible backlash, the US continues to move with impunity when it comes to supporting Israeli crimes against humanity as well as its complete disregard for international law in regards to the building of settlements across the occupied Palestinian territories.
Despite possible backlash, the US continues to move with impunity when it comes to supporting Israeli crimes against humanity as well as its complete disregard for international law in regards to the building of settlements across the occupied Palestinian territories.
In a break with a decade’s long position of standing with international law in regards to Israel’s illegal settlements in Palestinian territory, the US has now called these settlements no longer illegal. Stating that the legality of these settlements should be solely decided by Israeli courts, the US has suggested that international law has no standing in regards to international conflicts like the colonization of Palestine by Israel.
Despite the 2016 UN Security Council resolution that stated that these settlements are a “blatant violation” of international law, Mike Pompeo, the US secretary of state, has stated:
Calling the establishment of civilian settlements inconsistent with international law has not advanced the cause of peace. The hard truth is that there will never be a judicial resolution to the conflict, and arguments about who is right and who is wrong as a matter of international law will not bring peace.”
The US embassy in Jerusalem has since issued a warning against travel to Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Gaza after Pompeo’s remarks, in preparation for a possible backlash or demonstration against these remarks from protesters. Many Palestinian politicians have reacted negatively to these most recent remarks, with senior Palestinian politician Saeb Erekat stating:
Once again, with this announcement, the Trump administration is demonstrating the extent to which it’s threatening the international system with its unceasing attempts to replace international law with the ‘law of the jungle’.”
The European Union’s foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini strongly condemned the US’ most recent remarks on Israel’s illegal settlements, stating that EU policy on these settlements “is clear and remains unchanged: all settlement activity is illegal under international law and it erodes the viability of the two-state solution and the prospects for a lasting peace”.
Despite possible backlash, the US continues to move with impunity when it comes to supporting Israeli crimes against humanity, as well as its complete disregard for international law in regards to the building of settlements across the occupied Palestinian territories. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has also unsurprisingly welcomed the US’ remarks on Israeli settlements:
Israel is deeply grateful to President Trump, Secretary Pompeo and the entire US administration for their steadfast position supporting truth and justice, and calls upon all responsible countries who hope to advance peace to adopt a similar position.”
Netanyahu’s remarks comes at a time where he is currently fighting for political power in Israel’s elections, and when the US engaging in an ever more increasingly radical stance towards accepting Israel’s campaign of colonizing Palestine. The US’ recognition of Jerusalem as the Israeli capital, as well as its support for Israeli sovereignty in the occupied Golan Heights, are just two examples of the US’ move towards a complete disregard for Palestinian rights.
Pompeo has stated that this most recent decision by the US to view Israeli settlements as not breaching international law comes from a position that was “not tied to domestic politics anywhere”, insisting that this stance comes from a renewed conclusion of the US position on the wider Middle East.
This move remains worrying however, as the US and Israel continues to move with impunity in the realms of human rights abuses and possible war crimes, as Palestinians continue to suffer under Israel’s oppressive regime.
