Israeli snags in peace process
WITH the April deadline looming, US Secretary of State John Kerry has been increasing efforts to make both Palestinians and Israelis agree on a framework which can work as a guide or map for the further peace negotiations.
However, before any progress could have been made on this front, Israeli Army Radio announced that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has told Kerry that he wants to annex a fourth bloc of West Bank settlements. This should not come as a surprise to those who are familiar with Israeli tactics. Such tactics are part of a bigger game plan of the Israelis to keep scuttling any meaningful progress in the peace process. It may be recalled that in the first week of this month, Israel announced plans for some 1,800 homes in the West Bank, including annexed Arab East Jerusalem, just days after the latest peace mission by Kerry, his 10th visit to the region in less than a year.
In recent times, Israel has accelerated its expansionist policy of building Jewish settlements on the Arab lands in total violation of the international law, drawing the wrath of the global community.
Last week, Israeli ambassadors in four key European states were reprimanded by their hosts over the new construction tenders in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. A senior European diplomat said such a move was detrimental to the efforts made by Kerry that created a real opportunity to advance the negotiations.
Germany, Britain and France have sent strong messages to Israel voicing disappointment over its obstinate behaviour. The Israeli plan to annex a fourth bloc of West Bank settlements is yet another cunning ploy of the Jewish state to not only put new roadblocks in the way of peace process but also a sinister design to deny the Palestinians a contiguous territory that is crucial to a viable and independent country.
© The Brunei Times. All rights reserved. Reprinted by arrangement with Asia News Network.
Comments