CAIRO, Aug 14 (MENA) – Egypt has strongly condemned Israel’s approval of plans to build 3,400 settlement units around occupied Al-Quds (East Jerusalem) describing the move as a fresh indication of the Israeli government’s insistence on expanding land seizures and altering the demographic makeup of the territories it occupies, in flagrant violation of international law, relevant United Nations (UN) Security Council resolutions, and international conventions.
In a statement Thursday, the Foreign Ministry denounced extremist remarks by the Israeli finance minister advocating the imposition of Israeli sovereignty and settlement expansion in the West Bank, calling them an alarming sign of “Israeli arrogance and extremism” that would not deliver security or stability for the region, including Israel, without meeting the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people.
Egypt reiterated its categorical rejection of such settlement policies and inflammatory statements by Israeli officials, warning that they fuel hatred, extremism and violence.
Cairo also cautioned Israel against delusional beliefs that the Palestinian cause could be erased or that the so-called “Greater Israel” project would be realized, stressing this is neither acceptable nor permissible.
The statement said Israel’s expansionist agenda runs counter to intensive regional and international efforts to achieve a just, lasting and comprehensive peace in the Middle East, adding that any attempts to displace Palestinians, confiscate their land, or expand settlements are doomed to fail.
There is no alternative to a two-state solution and the establishment of a Palestinian state under international law and UN resolutions, the statement read warning that Israel’s persistence in rejecting peace and pursuing extremist policies remains the main driver of instability in the region. (MENA)
