In a move seen as a further blow to Palestinian hopes for statehood, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has announced that the US is repudiating the 1978 State Department legal opinion that the Israeli settlements in occupied Palestine are in violation of international law.
The Fourth Geneva Convention is very clear about settlements being illegal, as it explicitly bars an occupying power from transferring its own civilian population into occupied territory.
Pompeo’s position is that the US stance on West Bank settlements is based on “unique facts.” While not necessarily trying to reinterpret international law, the State Department will now argue that international law doesn’t advance the cause of peace and therefore should be ignored.
Instead, Pompeo will argue that any legal questions on Israel building settlements in occupied Palestine should be handled within Israeli courts. He added that he did not intend to prejudge the status of the Wes Bank in any peace deal.
This position further encourages the Israeli government to take steps to make the occupation permanent, secure in the knowledge that the US government is prepared to ignore international law. It also seemingly encourages them to block Palestinian statehood to allow for more settlements in the future.
In bolstering the Israeli far-right’s annexation position, the new US stance is likely intended to bolster Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, at a time when his survival as premier is in doubt. Trump has expressed a preference for Netanyahu.
Really, Pompous Pompeo??!! That’s one whopper of a lie you just told .. Truth is, Israeli settlements in the West Bank DO violate International law. Israel isn’t above the law, and neither are the US/UK/NATO. These settlers in the West Bank are nothing but terrorists – stealing and/or destroying crops, as well as terrorizing Palestinian farmers and their families.
The worst part of all this is that IDF soldiers either ignore the terrorism committed by these settlers, or aid them.
The West Bank was supposed to be an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital. Where is the UN in this? I don’t see them lifting a finger.
Can’t. The United States blocks every move with its veto. The biggest problem with the U.N. isn’t the U.N., it’s the U.S. abusing its security council veto to enforce global ziocracy.
This is an historic occasion on a part of U.S.
Well, someone bulldoze
Pompeo’s home. It’s apparently all alright.
Well if you take the typical American public servants position of the Law says what is convenient for us to say it is… then I guess with those standards Pompeo is not wrong.
It is not Israel who is above the law, it is Trump the whore who considers himself above the law. The rest of the world knows the law very well, occupation is still an occupation.
Trump’s pathetic regime continues to mock any international agreement and any current or future treaty with the US. We will very soon become the world leper, we are already a sad joke.
Is this site still proud of itself of supporting this great man of peace? And if not, where is the apology for misleading its readers?
I agree with you up until the point where you say this site supports Trump.
Sorry, I should say – some of this site, and we all know who.
Also, I should use the past tense.
The Viewpoints section regularly features pro-Trump articles. Just because it isn’t as rabid as Fox or Breitbart doesn’t mean this site doesn’t support Trump.
And just because this site regularly features articles all across the political spectrum doesn’t mean it is pro-Trump.
I don’t see that. Maybe Buchanan. Most of them add caveats if they are supporting him.
Imagine if it was Palestinians who held most of the top positions in the media and Hollywood. With the power to present a certain picture, ranging from “neutral” to “positive” in one direction only, not the other direction. With the power to attack any aspiring politician, and those who donate to him. Would things have looked different? But what do the media look like instead? We can’t say. They have declared it forbidden.
Fortunately Palestinians are not like the fascist, neocon, genocidal, colonial Zionists of the entity called Israhell.
But even if that would have happened, then the American Sheeple would have continued living their lives as now – voting for the same two brands of the AIPAC/WallStreet/MIC party.
As usual Pompeo is ignorant about International Law…….but he is an expert in “lying, cheating and stealing”.
Interesting. There seems a war going on between Trump and the Pence/Pompeo combination as to who pleases Sheldon Adelson the most..
Adelson is having second thoughts about Trump for 2020 and if he backs Pence/Pompeo thats curtains for Trump. To these players Palestinians don’t even register.
This fat sack-o-lard is just as corrupt and crazy as his boss.
This looks like the precursor to “The deal of the Century”!!!
I talked a guy last week who said he isn’t white, he’s Jewish.
Which struck me as bigotry
They are their own race?
Bullshit. Israel is an illegal apartheid thief state. Israel doesnt have the right to exist by stealing others land