The United States ambassador to Israel, David M. Friedman, believes that Israel has the right to annex some “but unlikely all,” parts of the Israeli occupied West Bank. Friedman’s provocative statement in a Saturday interview provides support for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who stated in April that he is planning to annex Israeli settlements in the West Bank and reject the formation of a Palestinian state.
Annexation of the Israeli settlements is widely considered to be a violation of international law and a breach of the Oslo accords under which Israeli and Palestinian representatives committed themselves to a two-state solution.
The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Sunday slammed Friedman’s remarks as “an extension of the policy of the US administration, which is fully biased towards the occupation and its expansionist colonial policies.” The ministry also called Friedman “a threat to regional peace and security” and said that is considering to file a complaint against the US official at the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Read more: US Ambassador Says Israel Has Right to Annex Parts of West Bank