Ireland warns against annexation of parts of West Bank

Ireland’s Foreign Minister Simon Coveney warns the incoming Israeli government against applying sovereignty over parts of the West Bank.

“A new Israeli government has yet to be formally put in place, and I wish that process well. However, I think it important, as a friend and partner of Israel, to be very clear about the gravity of any such step,” he says in a statement.

“Annexation of territory by force is prohibited under international law, including the UN Charter, whenever and wherever it occurs, in Europe’s neighbourhood or globally. This is a fundamental principle in the relations of states and the rule of law in the modern world. No one state can set it aside at will,” he adds.

The coalition agreement signed earlier this week by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Blue and White party chief Benny Gantz stipulates that the annexation of the Jordan Valley and all settlements in the West Bank may be brought to a vote in either the cabinet or the Knesset as soon as July 1.

According to the coalition deal’s terms, the centrist Blue and White list is not allowed to obstruct a vote on the subject, but its lawmakers are not obligated to vote in favor.

— Raphael Ahren