The Organization of Islamic Cooperation Organization (OIC) warned on Wednesday that the Israeli plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank represented a "dangerous escalation" of the Jewish state's actions against the Palestinians and "an end to the negotiated settlement."
The ICO said in a statement issued at the conclusion of an extraordinary meeting of its executive committee held virtually at the level of foreign ministers of member states that Israel’s implementation of its threat to annex all the settlements built in the occupied West Bank in addition to the Jordan Valley as a whole constitutes an “official declaration to cancel all agreements signed by the Organization, end the negotiated settlement and a dangerous escalation for its colonial policies and procedures."
“This annexation, if it takes place, would also represent "a blatant attack on the historical, legal and political rights of the Palestinian people and a flagrant violation of the Charter of the United Nations, principles of international law, relevant United Nations resolutions and rules of international law,” the statement read.
During the meeting, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said that the Israeli plan represents a "dangerous escalation."
The Israeli plan threatens the chances of resuming the peace process to achieve security and stability in the region," Farhan added.
On January 28, U.S. President Donald Trump announced from Washington a peace plan between the Israelis and the Palestinians that provides for Israel to annex all of its settlements in the West Bank that it occupied after the 1967 war.
The Israeli plan includes annexing the strategic Jordan Valley area, which constitutes one third of the West Bank.
In the West Bank, only about 450,000 Israelis live in settlements among 2.7 million Palestinians.
The Israelis welcomed the Trump plan, which the Palestinians, Arabs and many European countries flatly rejected.
Israel Insists on Annexing West Bank and Jordan Valley
On Tuesday, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohamed Shtayyeh announced that the Palestinian Authority (PA) submitted to the Quartet Committee on the Middle East (European Union, United Nations, Russia and the United States) a "counter proposal" to the American plan.
On Wednesday, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas expressed his "grave concern" over the Israeli plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank.
In May, the Jordanian King, Abdullah II, warned of a “massive conflict” and more chaos and extremism in the region if Israel annexed parts of the West Bank.
In response to a question whether he would suspend the peace treaty with Israel, in an interview with the German newspaper Der Spiegel and published by the Kingdom TV, King Abdullah said:
“I don’t want to make threats or create an atmosphere of discord and bickering, but we are studying all options. We agree with many countries in Europe and the international community that the law of power should not be applied in the Middle East.”
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A Palestinian Man Looks to Israeli Settlements in The West Bank[/caption]
The King of Jordan stressed that “the two-state solution is the only way that will enable us to move forward,” asking “Is the timing really appropriate to discuss whether we want a one-state solution or a two-state solution for Palestine and Israel, and we are in the midst of the battle against the novel coronavirus pandemic? Or should we discuss how we can combat this epidemic?”
On the other hand, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed confidence that the United States will allow Israel to press ahead with a plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank, as he set a July 1 date to discuss extending Israel’s sovereignty over parts of the West Bank and annexing the Jordan Valley.
Early May, the then-defense minister of the Israeli caretaker government, Naftali Bennett, approved the expansion of the area of the “Efrat” settlement located in the huge settlement complex (Gush Etzion) south of Bethlehem in the south of the West Bank, by about 1100 dunums, in preparation for the construction of approximately 7,000 new residential units.
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