US decision on Israeli settlements rejected

Arab League foreign ministers yesterday denounced the announcement by the US that it no longer considers Israeli settlements on the occupied West Bank to be a violation of international law. During an emergency meeting in Cairo, a week after the announcement by the Trump administration, League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit described the decision as “unfairly biased and unacceptable.”

He added that the US had forfeited its role as a neutral arbiter between Israel and the Palestinians. Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan reaffirmed the Kingdom’s rejection of the US position, and stressed the need to find a just and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian issue.

Solving this is the cornerstone of achieving lasting peace, he added. The Palestinian issue is at the heart of King Salman, the minister pointed out, adding that Saudi Arabia would continue to support the Palestinian cause. In a statement issued after the meeting, the League’s foreign ministers expressed their “condemnation and rejection of the US decision.”

It “has no legal effect and is a clear violation of UN resolutions,” they added.