International

SP Member of Parliament Harry van Bommel is urging the Minister of Foreign Affairs to send an immediate and unambiguous message to Israel urging the rejection of the report on the settlements published yesterday. The report was originally commissioned by the Israeli government and, as Van Bommel says, its conclusions ‘undeniably contradict international law and are completely at odds with a fair solution to the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. If these conclusions don’t disappear straight into the waste paper basket, it’s pretty well the end.’

Amongst the conclusions of the report on the settlements was that Israelis have the legal right to establish themselves on the West Bank and that the building of settlements in that area is not illegal. The report also denied that the West Bank is an occupied territory. Such findings are in conflict with the judgment of the International Court of Justice and with countless UN resolutions.

‘It is extremely worrying that different ministers in Israel have repeatedly let it be known that they stand by the report’s conclusions,’ says Van Bommel. ‘These ministers are urging their government to adopt its conclusions. Our own Minister of Foreign Affairs must therefore as soon as possible make it clear to his Israeli colleagues that this is completely unacceptable. The Netherlands must raise this issue during the sitting of the UN General Assembly in the autumn.’