The Palestinian Authority (PA) accused Israel of exploiting Jewish holidays to encourage settlement projects in Palestinian territory.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates said the Israeli authority has been working on “exploiting holidays in favor of provocative acts of aggression that would deepen the settlement and Judaization operations in the occupied Palestinian territory and intensify attacks on holy sites in Jerusalem.”
It cited a series of attacks against the Palestinian people and these sites, including the closure of the Bab al-Rahma prayer area, the constant storming of the al-Aqsa Mosque compound and the repeated Israeli calls for marches in the West Bank on the Jewish holiday of Sukkot.
The Ministry also accused Israel of “abducting” Palestinian nature either through the separation wall, barriers, barbed wire fences or flooding them with toxic waste. This has deprived the people of their right to enjoy nature walks.
It called on “countries that claim to be keen on the principles of human rights and that have not yet recognized the State of Palestine to do so as soon as possible, as a necessary step to confront the colonial settlement project and protect the two-state solution.”
It said it has been closely following the Israeli campaign in the Isawiya district in east Jerusalem, warning of its dangerous repercussions. It condemned the security forces’ night raids, murders, mass arrests, provocative checkpoints and other forms of “collective punishment.”
