West Bank Annexation a Setback for Peace: UAE
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said cabinet discussions would begin on July 1 on his plan to extend Israeli sovereignty to territory Palestinians want for their own state.
"Continued Israeli talk of annexing Palestinian lands must stop," Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash said in a Twitter post, the Middle East Monitor reported.
"Any unilateral Israeli move will be a serious setback for the peace process, undermine Palestinian self determination & constitute a rejection of the international & Arab consensus towards stability & peace."
The UAE last month criticized Israel's annexation plans.
“This unilateral step is illegal, undermines chances for peace and contradicts all efforts made by the international community to reach a lasting political solution in accordance with relevant international resolutions,” said Emirati foreign minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
Unilaterally applying sovereignty over any part of the West Bank would be illegal, undermine the chances for peace, “and contradict all efforts made by the international community to reach a lasting political solution” to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, he added.
The UN's Middle East envoy Nikolay Mladenov warned last month that going ahead with the annexation plan would violate international law and deal “a devastating blow” to the two-state solution.
