Israeli settlements – Letter from CEIRPP Chairman

LETTER DATED 14 MARCH 1980 FROM THE CHAIRMAN OF THE

COMMITTEE ON THE EXERCISE OF THE INALIENABLE RIGHTS

OF THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE

In my capacity as Chairman of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, I have the honour to convey the Committee's deep concern at the recent outrage committed by the Government of Israel in the Palestinian territories illegally occupied by Israel.

The expropriation by the Israeli authorities of vast areas of Arab-owned land in the vicinity of Jerusalem in order to establish new Israeli settlements must convince even Israel's staunchest supporters of the true nature of the goals sought by Israel. The Government of Israel has proved yet again that its intention is the eventual annexation of the occupied territories through a policy of fait accompli.

The Government of Israel's contempt for international opinion could not be more clearly demonstrated than by this provocative decision taken within days of the unanimous adoption by the Security Council of resolution 465 (1980). This resolution expressly calls on Israel to cease as a matter of urgency the establishment of settlements in the occupied Arab territories, including Jerusalem, and determines that measures of this nature taken by the Israeli authorities in the Palestinian and other Arab territories, including Jerusalem, occupied since 1967 have no legal validity.

This deliberate violation of resolution 465 (1980) is one more example of what is becoming an Israeli practice of defying the United Nations and the international community. Previous resolutions of both the Security Council and the General Assembly have been regularly repudiated or ignored. Similarly, this latest action is just one more in a long succession of Israeli violations of established principles of international law in general, and of the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 in particular.

It is obvious that Israel has little intention of helping progress towards a peaceful settlement of the Middle East problem, for which an indispensable requirement is the just resolution of the Palestine question which is at the heart of the problem. On the contrary, Israel's actions prove that it is determined to strengthen its hold on the illegally occupied territories, regardless of the consequences for peace and security in the region.

The present situation demands that the Security Council take action to prevent the situation from becoming an increasing threat to international peace and security.

I shall be grateful if you would have this letter circulated as a document of the Security Council.

(Signed)  Falilou KANE

   Chairman of the Committee

     on the Exercise of the

   Inalienable Rights of the

 Palestinian People

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