The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today said the Israeli government’s latest expansion of illegal settlements in the illegally-occupied West Bank is “de facto annexation.”
According to reports, the Israeli government is moving forward with major new investments and construction projects to expand settlements and related infrastructure throughout the occupied West Bank, despite widespread international condemnation of such settlements as violations of international law. The expansion comes amid growing concerns about forced displacement, settler violence, home demolitions, and annexation efforts targeting Palestinian communities.
SEE: Israel Set to Rapidly Expand West Bank Settlements – New York Times
In a statement, Washington, D.C.-based CAIR said:
“The Israeli government’s relentless expansion of illegal settlements is part of a broader campaign to ethnically-cleanse Palestinians, seize their land, and make permanent Israel’s illegal occupation of the West Bank. It is de facto annexation of the West Bank.
“Every new racially-segregated settlement, every new apartheid bypass road, and every new outpost further fragments Palestinian communities and accelerates the forced displacement of Palestinians from their homes and lands. These actions are consistent with what leading human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, have identified as ethnic cleansing.
“The United States must stop enabling these crimes through diplomatic protection, military support, and political silence. Congress and the administration must take immediate action to end American complicity in Israel’s violations of international law and to hold the Israeli government accountable for its ongoing campaign of annexation, settlement expansion, and ethnic cleansing.”
Yesterday, CAIR said Congress must take immediate action to end U.S. complicity in Israel’s war crimes after Amnesty International released a report accusing the Israeli government of carrying out a campaign of ethnic cleansing against Palestinians in the illegally-occupied West Bank.
Also this week, CAIR announced that it has sent a letter to Congress urging lawmakers to reject any provision that would establish or expand a permanent U.S.-Israel Defense Technology Cooperation Initiative, including language substantially similar to Section 224 adopted by the House Armed Services Committee.
CLICK HERE: READ CAIR’S LETTER
Last week, CAIR condemned the inclusion and advancement of Section 224 of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) in the House Armed Services Committee. CAIR urges the Senate Armed Services Committee to remove Section 224 from the NDAA and calls on members of the House of Representatives to reject the provision should it advance to the House floor.
END
CONTACT: CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, e-Mitchell@cair.com; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, rmccaw@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com