Brazil Condemns Israeli West Bank Land-Rule Changes Enabling Settler Purchases
Brasília calls the decision a breach of international law that imperils prospects for a Palestinian state.
Overview
- Brazil's foreign ministry on February 10 issued an official note condemning Israeli security-cabinet measures affecting land registration in the occupied West Bank.
- The plan would ease land purchases by Israeli settlers by revoking a decades-old prohibition and extend Israeli administrative control, including over sites in Hebron and Bethlehem.
- Brazil argued the move would favor expansion of illegal settlements and deepen Israeli interference in occupied Palestinian territory.
- Citing UN Security Council resolutions and the International Court of Justice’s July 19, 2024 advisory opinion, Brazil labeled the decision a clear violation of international law.
- UN rights chief Volker Türk warned the measures risk accelerating Palestinian dispossession and forced displacement, while Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called for a decisive international response.