Saudi FM urges European countries to crack down on Israel
Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan on July 4th urged European nations to impose sanctions on Israel and its representatives, Arab News and agencies reported.
“The situation in the Gaza Strip does not only affect the Palestinian issue but the entire region and contributes to further escalations, which is currently happening in southern Lebanon,” he said.
He also highlighted the international community’s silence on Israel’s continued expansion of settlements in the West Bank, saying that the least European countries can do is condemn Israel’s failure to abide by its commitments by imposing sanctions on those officials violating international human rights laws.
READ: Saudi Arabia attempts to ease tensions in Middle East
On May 20th, the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan said he sought arrest warrants for both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, destabilising international public opinion of the country.
Bin Farhan also said the Palestinian people have the right to self-determination and an independent and internationally-recognised state. He praised the countries that have recognized Palestine, saying that doing so is “a very important move” that supports the push for a two-state solution.
“The majority of the international community agrees that the permanent and just solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is the two-state solution,” he said, “yet they stand idle in the face of matters that could undermine the two-state solution, such as Israel’s continued expansion of settlement activities.”
Arab News and agencies
