Arab Parliament President Adel Abdul-Rahman Al-Asoumi has called on the international community to reject what he called a “racist” Israeli bill to legalise and finance outposts in the occupied Palestinian territories. Al-Asoumi’s call came after Israel’s Knesset approved the first draft of the law. It stipulates the obligation of various ministries in Israel to supply all outposts in the occupied West Bank with the infrastructure services in order to legitimise them.
In letters addressed to the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General, the President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCR), and the President of the European Parliament, Al-Asoumi affirmed the Arab Parliament’s rejection of the bill.
He said that it is an explicit challenge to resolutions covering international legitimacy, especially UN Security Council Resolution No. 2334 of 2016. The latter confirms the invalidity and illegality of all forms of settlement in all occupied Palestinian territories, including the city of Jerusalem.
Al-Asoumi called on the international community to assume its legal and humanitarian responsibilities, and take resolute measures to protect the rights of the Palestinian people.
The call also asked for the international community to challenge these racist and hostile decisions on human rights which violate international law, challenge legitimacy decisions, and threaten the two-state solution agreed upon internationally.
Al-Asoumi stressed the need to take the necessary measures to reject the draft law on “settlement and financing” settlement outposts and other racist legislation that undermine the right of the Palestinian people.
This would also require pressure to be placed on the Israeli government and Knesset to immediately stop the legitimating of the occupation policy, which is a clear violation of international laws.
