Radio Cadena Agramonte emisiora de Camagüey
Brasilia, Feb 25.- Brazil joined about twenty countries and international organizations to condemn Israeli decisions that expand control over occupied Palestinian territories in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, in open violation of international law.
The South American giant is one of the signatories of a joint declaration also supported by France, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Egypt, Jordan, Luxembourg, Norway, Palestine, Portugal, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Türkiye, in addition to the League of Arab States and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.
Through that text, they rejected in the strongest terms a series of recent Israeli decisions that introduce broad extensions of illegal control over the occupied West Bank, through the reclassification of Palestinian lands as supposed Israeli "state lands" and the acceleration of settlement activity.
The statement, released by the Brazilian Foreign Ministry, emphasizes that Israeli settlements and measures aimed at expanding them constitute a flagrant violation of international law.
The signatory nations and organizations warned that such decisions are part of a trajectory aimed at modifying the reality on the ground and moving towards an unacceptable de facto annexation, which undermines ongoing efforts to achieve peace and regional stability, including the so-called 20-Point Plan for Gaza.
They also urged the Israeli Government to immediately reverse these measures, respect its international obligations, and refrain from actions that imply permanent changes in the legal and administrative status of the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
The statement also refers to the unprecedented acceleration of the settlement poligcy, particularly with the approval of the E1 project, considered a direct blow to the viability of the Palestinian state and the implementation of the two-state solution.
In this regard, the signatory parties reiterated their rejection of any measure that alters the demographic composition, character, and status of the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, including East Jerusalem, and expressed their opposition to any form of annexation.
Facing the escalation in the West Bank, the Foreign Ministers of these countries also called on Israel to end settler violence against the Palestinian population and to ensure accountability for those responsible.
During the holy month of Ramadan, they stressed the importance of preserving the historical and legal status quo in Jerusalem and its holy sites, and demanded the immediate release by Israel of withheld tax revenues corresponding to the Palestinian Authority, vital for the provision of basic services in Gaza and the West Bank. (Text and photo: PL)
