Palestinian officials slammed the Israeli parliament for voting to legalize settlements on Palestinian land, the Associated Press reported on Tuesday.
“Nobody can legalize the theft of the Palestinian lands. Building settlements is a crime, building settlements is against all international laws,” Tourism and Antiquities Minister Rula Maa’yaa stated. She urged the international community to “act concretely to stop the Israelis from these crimes.”
A spokesman for Palestine’s President Mahmoud Abbas called on the world to respond to Israel’s actions in order to avoid “more instability and chaos.” He branded the law on settlements “unacceptable.”
Turkey and the Arab League have condemned the newly passed law, while a United States State Department official told AFP that the country "will withhold comment on the legislation" until the law is reviewed by Israel's High Court.
On Monday, Israel’s parliament passed a bill to retroactively legalize Israeli settlements on Palestinian territory.
Image: EPA / ABED AL HASHLAMOUN
