WASHINGTON: Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) unequivocally condemned the escalating violence perpetrated by Israeli colonists in the occupied West Bank and the ongoing illegal confiscation of Palestinian land.
‘We stand in solidarity with Palestinian families facing dispossession and violence, as well as with those who have been wrongfully detained for defending their internationally recognized human rights,’ said CMEP in a statement.
‘Recent weeks have seen a disturbing increase in settler aggression throughout the West Bank,’ said the statement, citing the Palestinian Christian Qaisiyah family in the Makhrour valley who has been subjected to increased violence, including the forced seizure of the family’s land and the establishment of an illegal outpost at Al Makhour.
On July 31st, 2024, colonists, escorted by Israeli military forces, invaded the home and physically removed the family and their belongings from the property. ‘Such acts constitute clear violations of international law,’ stressed CMEP.
CMEP noted that the International Court of Justice, in its July 2024 ruling, reaffirmed that the military occupation of the West Bank, along with the establishment of settlements and outposts, is illegal.
It stressed alarm by Israel’s announcement of plans to establish a new settlement, named ‘Nahal Heletz,’ in the Bethlehem region. ‘This settlement, to be constructed on Palestinian land recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site, is yet another attempt to sever Palestinian territorial continuity west of Bethlehem, effectively encircling the city and turning surrounding Palestinian communities into isolated enclaves.’
‘This deliberate disruption of Palestinian space further undermines the viability of a future Palestinian state.’
CMEP condemned the statement of Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz, who stated, ‘We must deal with the threat just as we deal with the terrorist infrastructure in Gaza, including the temporary evacuation of Palestinian residents and whatever steps might be required,’ stating: ‘C
MEP believes such rhetoric could easily encourage mechanisms of displacement and ethnic cleansing to be employed in the West Bank as they have been executed in Gaza these past ten-plus months.’
CMEP also expressed deep concern over the arbitrary arrest and detention of Palestinian activists like Alice Qaisiyah, who was taken into custody after confronting extremist colonists who violently expelled her and her family from their land. ‘The subsequent release of Alice and her mother does not mitigate the injustice they have endured, nor does it address the broader issue of systemic violence being perpetrated against Palestinians.’
‘We call on the U.S. government to take decisive action to halt Israeli incursions into the West Bank, including by ensuring that U.S. weapons cannot be used to further violate Palestinian human rights.’
That statement said that the Biden Administration and Congress must denounce the inflammatory rhetoric and policies expressed by Israeli officials over the past several months, incl
uding Ben-Gvir and Smotrich, who have emboldened colonists’ violence. ‘It is time lasting solutions be sought to bring an end to human rights abuses and the occupation of the Palestinian people, including but not limited to the expansion of settlements, land confiscation, and continued displacement in East Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Gaza.’
CMEP called for a lasting and permanent ceasefire in the ongoing war in Gaza, the release of hostages in Gaza and those held unjustly in Israeli prisons, immediate and adequate humanitarian assistance into the enclave, and that the core causes of the decades-long conflict be finally addressed.
Source: Palestine News and Information Agency – WAFA
