Sinn Féin’s spokesperson on Foreign Affairs, Seán Crowe TD, has strongly condemned Israel’s latest illegal land grab in the Palestinian West Bank.

The Israeli Government announced that it is annexing 988 acres (4 square km) of Palestinian land which belongs to five villages in the Bethlehem area. It is Israel’s biggest land seizure in 30 years.

Deputy Crowe said:

“For seven weeks in July and August the world watch in horror as the Israeli military indiscriminately bombed Gaza and committed war crimes. The carnage they brought killed more than 2,100 Palestinians, the vast majority innocent civilians.

“The lack of any censure from the international community over Israel’s recent actions in Gaza has emboldened Netanyahu and his Government to make this huge illegal land grab.

“Israel signed up to a ceasefire and peace agreement on 26 August, but Netanyahu continues to place obstacles in front of a peace process based on a two-state solution, which would see a free and independent Palestine living side-by-side in peace with Israel.

“This latest aggressive move is a continuation of its deliberate policy of collective punishment of the Palestinian people under the fig leaf cover of security and defence.

“Surely it is long past the time that the international community held Israel accountable for its crimes against the Palestinian people, including its illegal land seizures and settlement building.

“Until the world and power blocs like the European Union sanction Israel, and act to prevent and stop facilitating the expansions of illegal settlements, then the possibility of peace and stability involving a two-state solution will be wiped out and disappear before our very eyes.”

ENDS