The Secretary-General of the Arab League, Ahmed Abu Gheit, condemned the decision of the Israeli cabinet to approve the establishment of 19 new settlements in the occupied West Bank. He stated that this decision represents a blatant challenge to the international will opposing settlement expansion and a clear violation of international law, which affirms the illegality of settlements. In a statement issued today, Abu Gheit clarified that the continuous expansion of illegal settlement activities aims to undermine the chances of establishing an independent and geographically contiguous Palestinian state and reflects the nature of the policies pursued by the Israeli government, which is dominated by extremist currents and settlers. He emphasized that the expansion of settlement activities will not lend any legitimacy to this illegal practice, stressing that the acts of violence committed by extremist settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank constitute a form of terrorism, and this occurs in the full view and hearing of the occupation authorities under the protection of their official agencies.
