[Salon] Israel announces major expansion of settlements in occupied West Bank

FM: John Whitbeck

The announced major expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank reported in the BBC article at the link transmitted below has been described by Israel's "Defense" Minister as intended to "prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state."

One may -- indeed, one must -- hope that this announcement will produce a boomerang impact, convincing the governments of most of the 46 UN member states which have not yet extended diplomatic recognition to the State of Palestine to do so at next month's UN conference in support of the "two-state solution" -- and then even convincing the U.S. government NOT to veto the subsequent renewed Security Council resolution to accept the State of Palestine as a full UN member state, not simply, as now, as an "observer state".

If any semblance of respect for international law is to survive in our world, the illegal occupation of the entire territory of a UN member state by another UN member state cannot be permitted to endure. The writing would be indelibly on the wall.

Many Western states which, in reality, have never dared to truly support a "two-state solution" by recognizing the State of Palestine without Israel's prior consent have over the years stated publicly that they are prepared to do so at an "appropriate time" or when it would have a "constructive impact".

If not now, when?

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1j5954edlno