Abbas accuses Israel of "apartheid"

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called on the international community to recognise Palestine as a state, and repeated that a one-state solution would be "apartheid."

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva on February 27, 2017.
TRT World and Agencies

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva on February 27, 2017.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Monday repeated his call that Israel is moving towards creating an "apartheid" state with the passage of a law legalising Jewish settlements built on private Palestinian land.

"Israel has recently announced its intent to create more occupation on our lands. It has adopted a law to occupy private lands of Palestinians. This is a dangerous precedent. We reject this act. This act leads to hatred."

Abbas repeated his call for the global community to implement the UN resolution which reaffirms that Israeli settlements built outside its pre-1967 borders violate international law.

​Last month, Israel approved the construction of additional housing units in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.

Most countries agree with the Palestinians and consider such settlements illegal and an obstacle to peace.

TRT World's Sarah Firth is in Geneva, and has more on the story.

Two-state solution

Abbas called on the international community to recognise Palestine as a state as the best way to defend the two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

"We call on countries that have recognised Israel and believe in the two-state solution to defend and support this solution by recognising the State of Palestine," Abbas said.

Abbas also warned against the US moving its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, following statements to that effect from US President Donald Trump.

Trump shocked the global community at a recent press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, when he appeared to overturn existing US policy and said a one-state solution was an option. Trump later backed away from that statement, reiterating US support for a two-state solution.

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