Israeli annexation is clearly “illegal“, the UN’s human rights chief said on Monday, warning that the consequences could be “disastrous”. This comes in the wake of Israel pigheadedly moving forward with its plans for annexation of the West Bank, despite international condemnation.
U.N. rights chief Michelle Bachelet calls on Israel to halt "illegal" plans to annex part of Palestinian territory in West Bank – @Reuters
— Dan Williams (@DanWilliams) June 29, 2020
Just days before Israel intends to kick-start plans to annex its West Bank settlements and the Jordan Valley, Michelle Bachelet added her voice to the chorus urging Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to drop the proposal. It remains to be seen whether this appeal by one of the most influential global personalities has any effect on the stone-hearted Prime Minister.
Israeli annexation is illegal says UN rights chief
“Annexation is illegal. Period,” the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights said in a statement.
“Any annexation. Whether it is 30 percent of the West Bank, or five percent,” she said, urging Israel to “listen to its own former senior officials and generals, as well as to the multitude of voices around the world, warning it not to proceed along this dangerous path.”
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International condemnation of the possible Israeli annexations has mounted ahead of July 1, when the Jewish state could take its first steps toward implementing part of a US-proposed Middle East peace plan.
“Annexation is illegal. Period"
The UN's Human Rights chief, Michelle Bachelet, adds her voice to those calling on Israel not to proceed with its plans to illegally annex a swathe of occupied Palestinian territory.
— kristyan benedict (@KreaseChan) June 29, 2020
US President Donald Trump’s proposals, rejected outright by the Palestinians, pave the way for annexing key parts of the West Bank, including settlements long considered illegal by the majority of the international community.
Israeli annexation is illegal: Bachelet wants Israel to shift course
Bachelet urged Israel to shift course, warning that “the shockwaves of annexation will last for decades, and will be extremely damaging to Israel, as well as to the Palestinians.”
“The precise consequences of annexation cannot be predicted,” she said.
“But they are likely to be disastrous for the Palestinians, for Israel itself, and for the wider region.”
The UN rights chief warned that “any attempt to annex any part of the occupied Palestinian territory will not only seriously damage efforts to achieve lasting peace in the region, it is likely to entrench, perpetuate and further heighten serious human rights violations that have characterised the conflict for decades.”
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Her statement cautioned that such a move would almost certainly lead to increased restrictions on Palestinians’ right to freedom of movement, as their population centres would become enclaves.
In addition, significant tracts of private land would likely be illegally expropriated, and even in cases where this does not occur, many Palestinians could lose access to cultivate their own lands.
And Palestinians who found themselves living inside the annexed areas would likely experience greater difficulty accessing essential services like healthcare and education, while humanitarian access could also be blocked.
Palestinians will be left with no place to call home
Bachelet’s office warned that Palestinians inside the annexed area would come under heavy pressure to move out, pointing out that entire communities currently not recognised under Israeli planning would be at high risk of “forcible transfer”.
And settlements, which are already recognised as a clear violation of international law, would almost certainly expand.
“This is a highly combustible mix,” Bachelet said.
“I am deeply concerned that even the most minimalist form of annexation would lead to increased violence and loss of life, as walls are erected, security forces deployed and the two populations brought into closer proximity.”
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The UN rights chief warned that “the existing two-tier system of law in the same territory will become embedded, with devastating impacts on the lives of Palestinians who have little or no access to legal remedy”.
Bachelet said illegal annexation would not change Israel’s obligations under international law as an occupying power towards the occupied population.
“Instead, it will grievously harm the prospect of a two-state solution, undercut the possibilities of a renewal of negotiations, and perpetuate the serious existing human rights and international humanitarian law violations we witness today.”
AFP with additional input by GVS News Desk
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