PHROC, ADALAH, and PNGO Condemn Statement by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on the Legal Status of Israeli Settlements under International Law
The Palestinian Human Rights Organizations Council (PHROC) and the Palestinian Coalition for Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (ADALAH), and the Palestinian NGO Network (PNGO) condemn as a gross misrepresentation of international law, the recent statement by the Secretary of State of the United States of America, Mike Pompeo, that Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) are “not per se inconsistent with international law.” Secretary Pompeo’s unwarranted statement is premised on a calculated misrepresentation of well-established and recognized international law, with the intention of rubber-stamping Israel’s unlawful acquisition of territory in the West Bank through use of force and prolonged military occupation, in flagrant disregard of international law principles.