Palestinian FM calls to put end to Israeli settler's attacks

Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad Malki called upon the international community to take urgent steps in order to put an end to Israeli settler's lawlessness and terrorist attacks against the Palestinian civilian population in the occupied State of Palestine, making their daily existence in their own homeland miserable. Malki's statement comes after dozens of settler terror raids against Palestinian civilians and their properties in East Jerusalem and in other villages West Bank during this past week alone. Malki said in a press statement, "At a moment when the international community is trying its best to open a political horizon for the two-state solution to be realized on the ground, Israeli occupation illegal practices, including settlement activities and settlers terror under the protection of Israeli soldiers are destroying the prospects of a two-state solution by confiscating more land and continuing a systematic policy of terror attacks against our people." He continued, "The international community has the legal and moral responsibility to provide protection to our people. Decades of colonization and foreign military rule over Palestine have not been challenged by any serious international action, which has led to the increasing vulnerability of our people on the ground and entrenched impunity that has characterised Israel's illegal policies in the Occupied Palestinian Territory for over four decades." "Israel, the occupying power, must be held accountable for these grave violations of international humanitarian law and human rights violations and attacks against Palestinians. We consider settler terrorism to be part of the same enterprise that seizes our land, builds illegal settlements and prevents us from reaching our potential in our own country. Israel has an obligation to cease all its illegal practices, including settlement activity and all acts of aggression and terror against our people," Malki added. Malki concluded, "This critical situation warrants the international community's attention and action, including by the Security Council, to preserve calm, to bring an end to these illegal and destructive practices by the Government of Israel and its settlers against the Palestinian people and to preserve the small opportunity remaining for realizing peace and stability in accordance with the two-State solution on the basis of the pre-1967 borders."