Brazil and almost 100 countries released a statement this Wednesday (18) condemning Israel’s expansion in the West Bank. 
On Sunday (15), the Israeli government approved the reopening of land registration in the occupied West Bank, which will allow Israeli settlers to purchase permanent land in the region. Palestinians consider the measure a “de facto annexation”
In the statement, the countries state that Israel’s unilateral decision is contrary to international law.
“We reiterate our rejection of all measures aimed at altering the demographic composition, character and status of the Occupied Palestinian Territory since 1967, including East Jerusalem. Such measures violate international law, undermine ongoing efforts for peace and stability in the region, go against the Comprehensive Plan and put at risk the prospect of reaching a peace agreement that puts an end to the conflict”, says the joint note, released at the end of the day by the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MRE).
Countries reaffirmed their commitment to adopt measures, based on international law and United Nations resolutions, to “contribute to the realization of the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination and to confront the illegal settlement policy in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, as well as policies and threats of forced displacement and annexation.”
“We reiterate that a just and lasting peace, based on the relevant United Nations resolutions, the Madrid terms of reference, including the principle of land for peace, and the Arab Peace Initiative, ending the Israeli occupation that began in 1967 and implementing the two-State solution — in which two democratic States, an independent and sovereign Palestine and Israel, live side by side in peace and security, within their secure and recognized borders, based on the 1967 lines, including with respect to to Jerusalem — remains the only way to guarantee security and stability in the region”, they conclude.
West Bank
The West Bank is among the areas claimed by the Palestinians to form their own future state. Most of the territory is under Israeli military control, with limited Palestinian autonomy in some areas administered by the Western-backed Palestinian Authority.
Defense Minister Israel Katz said land registration is a vital security measure, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said in a statement that it was an “appropriate response to the illegal land registration processes promoted by the Palestinian Authority,” according to the Reuters Agency.
The Palestinian presidency condemned the action, stating that it was “a de facto annexation of the occupied Palestinian territory and a declaration of the beginning of annexation plans that aim to consolidate the occupation through illegal colonization activities”.
* With information from Reuters
