ADC Press Release
  

Washington, D.C., April 5-- The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), the nation’s largest Arab-American membership organization, welcomes the State Department’s latest condemnation of Israeli plans to expand settlement activity in the Occupied Territories.
 
State Department spokesperson Richard Boucher characterized the proposed West Bank settlements as "provocative," and said that  "continuing settlement activity by Israel does risk further inflaming an already volatile situation in the region."  While these comments continue the pattern established by the new Bush Administration of taking a somewhat stronger position against Israeli settlement in the Occupied Territories than that of the Clinton Administration, they continue to fall short of the traditional US policy which affirmed the illegality of settlements under numerous UN Security Council resolutions and Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention.
 
This latest decision to build more settlements, including a proposed town for 6,000 Israeli settlers to be built near Bethlehem, make it clear that the Sharon government is pursuing policies that undermine any serious pursuit of a peaceful resolution to the conflict.  The avowed and obvious purpose of settlements is to solidify Israeli control of the Occupied Territories by populating them with Israeli civilians.  The settlements are invariably built on land forcibly seized from the local Palestinian population.  Settlement activity is a gross violation of human rights of a population living under belligerent military occupation, and for that reason is strictly forbidden by the Geneva Convention
 
ADC hopes that this latest Israeli provocation will underline to the Bush Administration that the essence of the violence in the Occupied Territories is the occupation of Palestinian territory by Israel, and the flagrant defiance by the Israeli government of the will of the international community and United Nations resolutions.  ADC also hopes that this will be the impetus for the Administration to become more engaged in helping to put an end to the plight of the Palestinian people who have suffered under this occupation for the last 34 years.  In order to prevent a further deterioration of the situation and achieve a just and lasting peace, it is imperative that the United States play a constructive and evenhanded role.  The Bush Administration should use all the influence at its disposal to prevent further Israeli provocations and settlement activity, and to provide international protection for the Palestinian people.
 
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ADC is the largest Arab-American grassroots organization in the United States. It was founded in 1980 by former Senator James Abourezk. To receive membership information, please send us your name and mailing address or visit our website.