London – The British government said on Monday it deplored an Israeli decision to appropriate a large swathe of land inside the occupied West Bank, saying the move would seriously damage Israel’s international reputation.
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On Sunday, Israel announced the appropriation of land in the Etzion Jewish settlement bloc near Bethlehem, a move which an anti-settlement group said was the biggest such claim in 30 years.
“The UK deplores the Israeli government’s expropriation of 988 acres (1.54 square miles) of land around the settlement of Etzion,” British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said in a statement which echoed U.S. calls to reverse the decision.
“This is a particularly ill-judged decision that comes at a time when the priority must be to build on the ceasefire in Gaza. It will do serious damage to Israel’s standing in the international community.”
Some 500,000 Israelis live among 2.4 million Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, territory that the Jewish state captured in the 1967 Middle East war.
Netanyahu is playing with fire and putting Jews at risk for absolutely no reason. Why must he create tension with world powers? As if Israels situation is not precarious enough. Build in the Gallillee and pre. 67 Israel. Stop building settlements and causing problems with the rest of the world.
The British government owns 14 overseas territories and Georgetown, Gilbratar and also West Bay. Some of the territories owned overseas include Bermuda, parts of Barbados, Cayman Islands, Virgin Islands, England also owns territory Iin the Antarctic as part of the agreement for Antarctic territory. The population of at least 350, 000 people is ruled by govt. appointed officers.
I deplore England for being such greedy country. They have no need for overseas territories except financial considerations.
To #2 - I agree with you 100%. When Britain had control of the mandate in Palestine, it openly sided with the Arabs, and prevented Jews from emigrating to Palestine. Because of Britain’s restrictions, Jews who could have been saved, died in the Holocaust. Britain once had a saying that “The sun will never set on the British Empire”. Also, isn’t it odd that in the sixty plus years, that the Queen has been on the throne, Queen Elizabeth has never found time in her busy schedule to make an official state visit to Israel? However, over the last sixty two years, she visited 110 other countries, including Northern Ireland, which was once an arch enemy. Something smells with the UK’s position vis-à-vis the West Bank.
I deplore Britain’s occupation of Ulster!