Israeli presence on Palestinian land 'irreversible'

By Barbara Plett
BBC UN correspondent, New York

Israel's refusal to extend a freeze on settlement construction has derailed peace talks
A UN human rights rapporteur has said continued settlement construction will probably make Israel's occupation of Palestinian land irreversible.

Richard Falk said the peace process aimed at creating an independent, sovereign Palestinian state therefore appeared to be based on an illusion.

He said the UN, the US and Israel had failed to uphold Palestinians' rights.

Israeli officials said Mr Falk's report on the Palestinian territories was biased and served a political agenda.

Continue reading the main story
Israel and the Palestinians

Mid-East talks: Where they stand
Q&A: Resuming direct talks
Confusion surrounds Arab summit
Hope and anger as freeze expires
Nearly half a million Jews live in more than 100 settlements built since Israel's 1967 occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem. They are held to be illegal under international law, although Israel disputes this.

'De-facto annexation'
In a report for the UN General Assembly, Mr Falk said Jewish settlement construction in the West Bank and East Jerusalem had become so extensive it amounted to de-facto annexation of Palestinian land.

He said this undercut assumptions behind UN Security Council resolutions which said Israel's occupation of Palestinian territory in 1967 was temporary and reversible.

Such assumptions are the basis for the current peace process aimed at creating an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel.

This now appears to be an illusion, said Mr Falk.

Israel said the report was utterly biased and served a political agenda, criticising its author for making no mention of what it called Palestinian terrorist attacks.

Continue reading the main story
Israeli settlements on occupied land

More than 430,000 settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, alongside 2.5 million Palestinians
20,000 settlers live in the Golan Heights
Settlements and the area they take up cover 40% of the West Bank
There are about 100 settlements not authorised by the Israeli government in the West Bank
An Israeli settlement in close-up
In the shadow of an Israeli settlement
Mr Falk told journalists that his mandate was to report on the Israeli occupation, not on the rights and wrongs of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

He said he based his conclusion not only on the deepening expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, but on the eviction of Palestinians from East Jerusalem, and the demolition of their homes.

Israel's refusal to extend a partial 10-month freeze on settlement construction in the West Bank has derailed peace negotiations sponsored by the United States. Washington wants them resumed.

But Mr Falk said both governments and the United Nations had failed to uphold Palestinian rights.

He urged the UN to support civil society initiatives, such as campaigns to sanction or boycott Israel for alleged violations of international law.



buy phone number
Merchant Credit Card Processing

Restaurant.com – 80% Off Discount Certificates

After Coupon Restaurant_com Restaurant.com coupon posted 1 day ago

Coupon Code: PUMPKIN Save big at Restaurant.com with coupon code and get an additional 80% off the already discounted dining certificates. A $25 certificate sells for between $10 and $15, so after coupon the final cost drops to $2 or $3. They also carry $10 certificates for $2-$3 or $0.40 - $0.60 after coupon. (Expires 10/25/10)
painting services
Tool chest

Ospreys 46-13 Leicester Tigers

Ospreys (29) 46
Tries: Phillips 2, Morgan, Fussell, Beck, Webb, Parker, Penalty Cons: Morgan, Prydie, Owen
Leicester (10) 13
Try: Pienaar Con: Ford Pens: Ford 2

Ospreys fly-half Matthew Morgan produced a stunning display to inspire the Ospreys as they overran Leicester at the Brewery Field, Bridgend.
Morgan was hugely influential in the hosts' eight-try romp, scoring one of them in the process.
Kristian Phillips (2), Richard Fussell, Ashley Beck, Rhys Webb, Sonny Parker and a penalty try completed the Ospreys' try-scoring.
Ben Pienaar scored the Tigers' try with George Ford's boot doing the rest.
Morgan, Tom Prydie and Gareth Owen kicked conversions for the home side on their historic visit to one of Welsh rugby's traditional club grounds.
Ospreys: Prydie; K Phillips, Parker, Beck, Fussell; Morgan, Webb; D Jones, M Davies, Mitchell, McInerney, Goode, King, Tipuric, Lloyd.
Replacements: B Davies for Fussell (48), Owen for Morgan (73), Nutbrown for Webb (52), Griffiths for D Jones (73), Hibbard for M Davies (48), Rees for Mitchell (67), Gough for McInerney (48), Holah for Lloyd (39).
Leicester: Lewington; Robinson, Hipkiss, A Forsyth, Hurrell; Ford, Spice; Parilli-Ocampo, Hawkins, Bower, Green, Gulliver, Hemingway, Armes, Pienaar.
Replacements: Macaulay for Lewington (10), Lynn for Hipkiss (75), S. Harrison for Spice (53), Everard for Armes (75).Not Used:Duffey, Balmain, Bucknall, Mafi.
Att: 6,632
Ref: Leighton Hodges (RFU).







_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Discount Office Chairs
marijuana merchant services