The Palestinian Authority (PA) has rejected the US approval of Israel’s annexation of much of the West Bank, describing the US request for the new Israeli unity government to negotiate with Palestinians over this matter as a “mockery" and stressing that there is nothing left to negotiate over.
The US approval to annex the Jordan Valley and impose Israel’s civil laws on the illegal settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, as well as the previous US recognition of annexing Jerusalem reflects the US biased decisions in favor of the occupation state to the detriment of Palestinians.
“What negotiations is the US administration talking about after issuing unilateral decisions that are in favor of the occupying power and by force?” the Palestinian Foreign Ministry said.
“This is a flagrant coup against the international terms of reference of the peace process, mainly the principles of land for peace, the two-state solution and the UN resolutions, which were replaced by the US administration’s so-called 'Deal of the Century’,” the statement read.
Last week, all members of the UN Security Council rejected this plan and the annexation step announced by the occupying power.
Remarks by the US State Department’s spokesperson are considered “an extension of the US bias to the Israeli occupation and its colonial expansionist policies in the Palestinian state’s territories,” the statement stressed.
It affirmed that the US stance expands on remarks made to reporters on Wednesday by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who said annexation was ultimately “an Israeli decision.”
“As we have made it consistently clear, we are prepared to recognize Israeli actions to extend Israeli sovereignty and the application of Israeli law to areas of the West Bank that the vision foresees as being part of the State of Israel," a State Department spokesperson said on Monday.
The step would be “in the context of the Government of Israel agreeing to negotiate with the Palestinians along the lines set forth in President Trump's Vision,” she added.
