Abbas says Israel is building a single, apartheid state

Abbas says Israel is building a single, apartheid state
By Christopher Cummins with AGENCIES
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Abbas pours scorn on Israeli settlement vote

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Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, has poured scorn on the Israeli parliament’s controversial vote
to retroactively legalise almost 4,000 settler homes, built unlawfully on Palestinian land.

It is being described as legalised theft.

Israel legalizes #settlement in West Bank, Palestinians furious (AFP pic) https://t.co/hvygUVRj2qpic.twitter.com/8vCPxtHd0I

— China Xinhua News (@XHNews) February 7, 2017

Israel’s attorney-general, Avihai Mandelblit, said the move is unconstitutional and that he will not defend it in the Supreme Court.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been quick to move on the settlement issue since Trump came to power, sensing a more sympathetic White House.

#ICC take note of #Israel move to systematically expand settlements. #PermanentOccupationpic.twitter.com/XQQAwui8tV

— Sarah Leah Whitson (@sarahleah1) February 6, 2017

Earlier the Israeli government approved plans to build thousands of new homes on occupied territory.

Israel passed a law that would retroactively legalize settlements on privately owned Palestinian land https://t.co/mTGK6p6fB3pic.twitter.com/lKieRdZYt8

— The New York Times (@nytimes) February 7, 2017

President Abbas has been in Paris for meetings with French President François Holland and spoke at the Élysée Palace: ‘‘This law is contrary to international law and we will continue our efforts in the international courts to protect our existence and our land. What Israel is doing is to achieve the establishment of a single state with an apartheid system.
There is no other word for it. If that happens it would be a disaster for us and for the international community and we warn you against it.”

According to the bill, which was passed 60-52
in 120 member Knesset, Palestinians will be compensated, even if they refuse to give up their property.

President Hollande said the law ‘‘opens the way to the annexation of occupied territories.’‘

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