The United Kingdom sanctioned extremist Israeli settlers and reaffirmed support for the Palestinian state

2023-12-14 19:23:00

Photo: AFP
He British Prime Minister Rishi Sunakreaffirmed this Thursday the United Kingdom’s support for the two-state solution to the conflict between Israel and Palestine, and its chancellor announced the ban on entry into the country of Jewish settlers involved in attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank territories under Israeli occupation where Palestine wants to found its State.

Sunak told British media that too many people have already died in the current escalation between Israel and the Islamist movement Hamas and stressed that the creation of a Palestinian State that peacefully coexists with the Israeli State remains the best option for lasting peace in the region, despite the opposition of the Israeli Government.

“Our long-standing position remains that the two-state solution is what is necessary here,” he said of the escalation of the conflict that began on October 7 after Hamas militants infiltrating Israel from the Gaza Strip killed 1,200 people. and they will take 240 hostages, including twenty Argentines.

Since then, More than 18,600 Palestinians were killed and more than 50,000 injured in Gaza in an Israeli air and ground offensive that has generated as much international criticism as condemnation of the Hamas attacks, as well as pressure on Israel to stop it.

“Our long-standing position remains that the two-state solution is what is necessary here” Rishi Sunak

“What is happening is incredibly worrying. I have constantly said that too many innocent people have lost their lives. Nobody wants this conflict to last longer than necessary,” Sunak told the media.

Israel has said it will continue its offensive to “destroy” Hamas and free the hostages “with or without international support”, and that the operation could last months or even years.

The British premier once again defended Israel’s right to defend itself and emphasized the need to protect Palestinian civilians at the same time.

The statement followed a Sky News interview with Israeli ambassador to the United Kingdom, Tzipi Hotovelywho rejected the idea of ​​creating a Palestinian state.

“Absolutely not. Israel knows today, and the world should know it already, that the Palestinians never wanted to have a state next to Israel,” he said, but rather to take over all of its territory, extending from the Mediterranean Sea to the Jordan River.

Photo: AFP
The UN decided in 1947 to divide Palestine, which was then under British control, into two states: one for the Arabs or Palestinians and another for Jews, Israel, which was created the following year. The Palestinian state was not created, and Gaza and the West Bank remained under the control of Egypt and Jordan, respectively.

In 1967, in a war against Egypt, Jordan and other Arab countries, Israel captured the West Bank and East Jerusalem and colonized them. Palestine claims them to found its State, but Israel refuses to withdraw its colonies, which are illegal under international law.

The current escalation in the Gaza Strip aggravated a wave of violence in the West Bank that has been dragging on since last year, and more than 270 Palestinians have died there since October 7 in attacks by the Army or Israeli settlers.

He British Chancellor David Cameronannounced this Thursday that settlers responsible for violence will be banned from entering the UK to ensure that the country cannot be home to people who commit these intimidating acts.

“Extremist settlers, by attacking and killing Palestinian civilians, are undermining the security and stability of both Israelis and Palestinians. Israel must take stronger measures to end settler violence and hold its perpetrators accountable,” the minister wrote in a tweet.

Extremist settlers, by targeting and killing Palestinian civilians, are undermining security and stability for both Israelis and Palestinians.

Israel must take stronger action to stop settler violence and hold the perpetrators accountable.

We are banning those responsible for…

— David Cameron (@David_Cameron) December 14, 2023

“We will ban those responsible for settler violence from entering the UK to ensure our country cannot be a home to people who commit these acts of intimidation,” he concluded.

The announcement follows similar sanctions applied last month by the United Stateswhich blocked visas for Jewish settlers responsible for attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank.

The President of the European Commission (EU), Ursula von der Leyensaid this Wednesday that he supported this idea of ​​sanctioning extremist settlers and reiterated his support for the two-state solution.

This Wednesday 56 British parliamentarians wrote to the Government urging him to ban violent Israeli settlers and those who incite violence and intimidation against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank from entering the UK.

Meanwhile, Pro-Palestinian activists blocked this Thursday the entrances to the offices of the oil company British Petroleum in London, protesting against Israel’s granting of natural gas exploration licenses to several companies, including BP.

The organization Fossil Free London, in a tweet, accused the company of “fueling Palestinian genocide,” and Palestinian flags and signs proclaiming “Free Palestine” were seen at the demonstration.