London
The UK and the EU joined the UN in speaking out against Israeli annexation of the occupied West Bank the other day.
As part of a video briefing of the UN Security Council, UN Special Middle East Envoy Nickolay Mladenov warned against any such move, saying: “Annexation of parts of the West Bank would constitute a serious violation of international law, deal a devastating blow to the two-state solution, close the door to a renewal of negotiations, and threaten efforts to advance regional peace.”
The intervention comes after the striking of a coalition government agreement on Monday between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, leader of Likud, and Benny Gantz, head of the Blue and White bloc, bringing to an end months of political stalemate featuring three elections in just 12 months.
Netanyahu, in a bid to win the support of pro-settlement voters, had placed annexation of the Jordan Valley and other parts of the West Bank squarely on the policy table as part of his manifesto for election.–AFP
