World reacts to US resettlement decision

(VOVWORLD) - US Democratic presidential candidates on Tuesday criticized the Trump administration's announcement that it supports Israel's rights in building settlements in the occupied West Bank.

Former vice president Joe Biden said this decision harms  US diplomacy, taking the US further away from the hope of a two-state solution, and will only further inflame tensions in the region. Elizabeth Warren, a Massachusetts senator, said that as president, she will reverse this policy and pursue a two-state solution. Senator Bernie Sanders said “Israeli settlements in occupied territory are illegal. This is clear from international law and multiple United Nations resolutions.”

The German Foreign Ministry on Tuesday said Berlin pledged to continue its efforts, together with other EU partners, to find a mutual, negotiated solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Egyptian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ahmed Hafez said on Tuesday that Egypt adheres to the resolutions of  international legitimacy and the international law, and regards the status of the Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank as illegal and contrary to international law.

Jordan’s foreign minister, Ayman Safadi, warned that a US change of position on Monday on Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank would have “dangerous consequences” on the prospects of reviving the Middle East peace process.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and the Palestinian Liberation Organization have called on the international community to condemn the US validation of Israeli settlements in the West Bank. The Palestines called the US decision “illegal” and a threat to global peace and security, adding that the US has lost its prestige in peacekeeping work.

Arab Parliament Speaker Fahm Al-Salami said US acceptance of the settlements violates international law and UN General Assembly and the UN Security Council resolutions.

Turkey and Jordan warned that the US decision will cause serious damage to peacekeeping efforts. Arab countries said Israeli settlements in Palestine have destroyed the prospect of a two-state solution and greatly reduced the chance of reaching a comprehensive peace.

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