Israel minister says ‘we will build Jewish Israeli state' in West Bank

JERUSALEM: Defence Minister Israel Katz vowed on Friday to build a 'Jewish Israeli state' in the occupied West Bank, a day after the government announced the creation of 22 new settlements in the Palestinian territory.
Israeli settlements in the West Bank, seen as a major obstacle to lasting peace, are regularly condemned by the United Nations as illegal under international law, and Thursday's announcement drew sharp foreign criticism.
'This is a decisive response to the terrorist organisations that are trying to harm and weaken our hold on this land -- and it is also a clear message to (French President Emmanuel) Macron and his associates: they will recognise a Palestinian state on paper -- but we will build the Jewish Israeli state here on the ground,' Katz was quoted as saying Friday in a statement from his office.
'The paper will be thrown into the trash bin of history, and the State of Israel will flourish and prosper.'
Katz was speaking during a visit to the Sa-Nur settlement outpost in the northern West Bank.
Sa-Nur was evacuated in 2005 as part of Israel's disengagement from Gaza, promoted by then prime minister Ariel Sharon.
Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967.
During a visit to Singapore on Friday, French President Macron asserted that recognition of a Palestinian state, with some conditions, was 'not only a moral duty, but a political necessity'.
An international conference meant to resurrect the idea of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is set to take place in June at the UN headquarters in New York.
A diplomat in Paris close to preparations for the conference said it should pave the way for more countries to recognise a Palestinian state.
Macron said in April that France could recognise a Palestinian state in June.
Following Israel's announcement of the new settlements on Thursday, Britain called the move a 'deliberate obstacle' to Palestinian statehood, while UN chief Antonio Guterres's spokesman said it pushed efforts towards a two-state solution 'in the wrong direction'.

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Malaysia Sun

4 hours ago

Malaysia Sun

Roundup: UN-Habitat Assembly ends with adoption of strategic plan to tackle housing crisis

NAIROBI, May 31 (Xinhua) -- The resumed second session of the United Nations Habitat Assembly concluded late Friday in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital, with the adoption of a bold strategic plan aimed at tackling the global housing crisis. More than 1,300 delegates, including ministers, city mayors, urban planners, innovators, donors, campaigners, and entrepreneurs, attended the premier event that ran from Thursday to Friday. Held every four years, the assembly is the world's highest decision-making body on sustainable urbanization and human settlement, composed of 193 UN member states. Kenyan President William Ruto hailed the consensus-based adoption of the United Nations Human Settlements Program's (UN-Habitat) Strategic Plan 2026-2029, saying it will guide the establishment of climate-smart and inclusive cities in the future. "The adoption of this strategic plan reaffirms our commitment to urban renewal through equitable and adequate access to housing," Ruto said, urging UN member states to establish global champions for affordable housing. Besides adopting the strategic plan for tackling the global housing crisis, the two-day meeting elected a new presidency of the assembly to be shared by Malaysia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from 2025 to 2029 alongside 36 members of the Executive Board of the UN-Habitat. During the assembly, it was also announced that the 13th session of the World Urban Forum will be held in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, on May 17-22, 2026, under the theme "Housing the world: Safe and resilient cities and communities." The UN-Habitat's strategic plan seeks to boost access to housing, land, and basic services, such as clean drinking water and sanitation, aligning with the global quest for converting cities into hubs for green innovation, prosperity, and resilience. Anaclaudia Rossbach, executive director of the UN-Habitat, said the plan is rooted in the bold vision of transforming cities through upgrading informal settlements, improving land governance, accelerating climate action, and eradicating poverty. Rossbach stressed that political goodwill, innovative financing, partnerships, and targeted use of technology will be key to hastening the implementation of the strategic plan, ensuring that urbanization is both resilient and sustainable. Alice Wahome, Kenya's cabinet secretary in the Ministry of Lands, Public Works, Housing and Urban Development, who read Ruto's speech, said the strategy presents a solid blueprint for realizing urban renewal through increased access to decent shelter, safe drinking water, sanitation, and waste management. In addition, the plan will boost post-recovery efforts in cities reeling from conflicts, poverty, inequalities, and fragilities linked to the climate crisis, Wahome said.

Israel blocks Ramallah meeting with Arab ministers, Israeli official says

The Sun

6 hours ago

The Sun

Israel blocks Ramallah meeting with Arab ministers, Israeli official says

JERUSALEM: Israel will not allow a planned meeting in the Palestinian administrative capital of Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank, to go ahead, an Israeli official said on Saturday, after Arab ministers planning to attend were stopped from coming. The move, days after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing government announced one of the largest expansions of settlements in the West Bank in years, underlined escalating tensions over the issue of international recognition of a future Palestinian state. Saturday's meeting comes ahead of an international conference, co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia, that is due to be held in New York on June 17-20 to discuss the issue of Palestinian statehood, which Israel fiercely opposes. The delegation of senior Arab officials due to visit Ramallah - including the Jordanian, Egyptian, Saudi Arabian and Bahraini foreign ministers - postponed the visit after 'Israel's obstruction of it', Jordan's foreign ministry said in a statement, adding that the block was 'a clear breach of Israel's obligations as an occupying force'. The ministers required Israeli consent to travel to the West Bank from Jordan. An Israeli official said the ministers intended to take part in 'a provocative meeting' to discuss promoting the establishment of a Palestinian state. 'Such a state would undoubtedly become a terrorist state in the heart of the land of Israel,' the official said. 'Israel will not cooperate with such moves aimed at harming it and its security.' A Saudi source told Reuters that Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud had delayed a planned trip to the West Bank. Israel has come under increasing pressure from the United Nations and European countries which favour a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, under which an independent Palestinian state would exist alongside Israel. French President Emmanuel Macron said on Friday that recognising a Palestinian state was not only a 'moral duty but a political necessity'. Palestinians want the West Bank territory, which was seized by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war, as the core of a future state along with Gaza and East Jerusalem. But the area is now criss-crossed with settlements that have squeezed some 3 million Palestinians into pockets increasingly cut off from each other though a network of military checkpoints. The settlements are considered illegal by most countries, as the area is formally under military occupation but Israeli ministers talk openly of full annexation. Defence Minister Israel Katz said the announcement this week of 22 new settlements in the West Bank was an 'historic moment' for settlements and 'a clear message to Macron'. He said recognition of a Palestinian state would be 'thrown into the dustbin of history.'