RAMALLAH, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Any future Israeli annexation of Palestinian lands in the West Bank will end prospect for peace in the Middle East, a senior Palestinian official told Xinhua on Thursday.
"The Israeli annexation of any part of the occupied Palestinian territories in the future will certainly threaten peace, security and stability in the entire Middle East," Saeb Erekat, secretary general of the Palestine Liberation Organization Executive Committee, told Xinhua in a telephone interview.
He said that "if Israel implements its plan of annexing Palestinian lands, this will mean that Israel disregards the peace process requirements."
"These plans will be confronted by decisive Palestinian decisions that will reject devoting the status quo that is based on the perpetuation of the occupation, on undermining the two-state solution, and devoting racial discrimination policies," said Erekat.
On Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signed an agreement with his major competitor Benny Gantz, leader of the Blue and White Party, to form a unity government, where both will head the government for a period of 18 months.
According to Israel Radio, sources in Netanyahu's Likud Party said that the agreement involves imposing Israeli sovereignty on historic Israeli lands in the West Bank territory, including large settlements and the Jordan valley, which was occupied by Israel in 1967 and represents one-third of the West Bank.
"When Israel carries out the annexation of the Palestinian lands and approves the national law, which is a right of self-determination for the Jews only, it means that Israel disregards the rights of the others and the peace requirements," Erekat said.
He added that "Israel believes that it will be the only power in the region if it carries out such practices, mainly the confiscation of lands, and disrespect the international law as well as the signed peace agreements."
In addition, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's remarks on the Israeli plan to annex Palestinian lands "are rejected," he said, adding that "no one has the right to violate the international law, or legalizes these crimes."
Erekat also called on the international community to respond to Palestine's call for an international conference on peace in the Middle East. Enditem
