France Slams Israel for Punishing Palestinians over UNESCO

by Naharnet Newsdesk 02 November 2011, 14:45

France on Wednesday condemned Israel's decision to step up settlement building on occupied land and to withhold tax funds from the Palestinians to punish them for joining U.N. cultural body UNESCO.

"France condemns the decision to accelerate the construction of several thousand homes in settlements in east Jerusalem and surroundings," foreign ministry spokesman Bernard Valero told journalists.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's inner cabinet decided on Tuesday to speed up settlements on occupied Palestinian land, a day after UNESCO's general assembly voted Palestine in as a full member.

"Settlement building in the West Bank as well as in east Jerusalem is illegal in international law and is a threat to the two-state solution," Valero said.

Israel also decided to freeze the transfer of customs duties levied on goods destined for Palestinian markets that transit through Israeli ports, which constitute a large percentage of the Palestinian budget.

Valero called on Israel to continue paying the funds owed to the Palestinians.

"Freezing them would be counter to Israel's international undertakings and its legal obligations. It would also threaten the progress made by the Palestinian Authority in building up Palestinian institutions on the ground."

Comments 4

Pong Lenis (Guest) 02 November 2011, 17:45

It is the promised land, the kingdom of David. They have been apart from it for 2000 years and now that they regained it they will not let it go again. This is the understanding of sionism.
The used means are violent, absurd, criminal etc... all adjectives apply.
How should a wise neighbour of this monster react? by trying to be apart from this mess and not linking its feat to that of the poor Palestinian. Otherwise he will pay the price each 5 years, price of stupid destruction.
Some of our leaders - who are in fact slaves under the order of foreigns- are doing their best to impose a condition for peace, the liberation of Palestine, that of Golan, the extermination of Israel.....

And they call themselves patriots.

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