Dr. Saeb Erekat on the Latest Israeli Settlement Announcement

Today, as U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and I met to discuss how to create the right environment to achieve the two-state solution, an Israeli government committee approved the construction of 640 more illegal settlement houses in Occupied East Jerusalem, the capital of the State of Palestine.

With the situation in Occupied Jerusalem at a boiling point, Israel’s latest settlement announcement is a slap in the face to Secretary Kerry, to the international community, to the Palestinian people, and to peace. The message is clear: the Netanyahu government chooses settlements over negotiations, colonization over the two-state solution, and apartheid over equality and coexistence.

The international community must realize that statements alone will not stop Israeli settlements, protect the Palestinian people, or save the two-state solution. The international community has the responsibility to hold Israel accountable for its ongoing violations of international law and signed agreements, including its dramatic escalation of violations against our people in Occupied East Jerusalem through settlement construction, forced displacement, and denial of our right to worship. The international community must support our right to access international treaties and organizations, including the Rome Statue.

As an urgent step to save the two-state solution, we call upon all countries to extend diplomatic recognition to the State of Palestine on the 1967 border. We urge the international community, including the American administration, to support our initiative for a Security Council resolution that would set a deadline for ending the Israeli occupation. Diplomatic recognition and support for this resolution are investments in peace needed to save the two-state solution from vanishing once and for all.