(WASHINGTON, D.C., 6/20/2023) – The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today called on the Biden administration to take concrete action after the Israeli government approved plans to expedite the construction of settlements in the occupied West Bank.
On Sunday, Israel announced that it was advancing plans to build 4,560 new housing units throughout the occupied West Bank. The government also passed a resolution that will expedite construction. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on Israel to immediately “cease all settlement activities” in occupied Palestinian territory, describing plans to build new settlements as driving “tensions and violence” and being a major obstacle to peace.
SEE: Israel approves plans to expedite construction of West Bank homes
UN chief tells Israel to halt ‘illegal settlements’ in Palestine
In a statement, CAIR Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell said:
“The far-right Israeli apartheid government’s plans to expand and expedite the building of illegal settlements represents an attempted de facto annexation of the West Bank. Netanyahu’s latest attack on the Palestinian people is a clear affront to both international law and American foreign policy. The Biden administration must take concrete action to stop the Israeli government from carrying out these plans. The State Department feeling ‘deeply troubled’ will not stop Benjamin Netanyahu and his team of racists.”
He noted that last week, CAIR called on the Biden administration to demand “real justice” after an announcement that Israeli soldiers will not face criminal prosecution for the death of an elderly Palestinian-American man who they dragged from a car, bound and left unresponsive on the ground overnight after apparently suffering a heart attack.
SEE: CAIR Calls on Biden Admin to Demand Justice After ‘Slap on Wrist’ for Israeli Soldiers Whose Actions Resulted in Death of Elderly Palestinian-American
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
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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