Arab League Condemns Israel’s Annexation Plan

Arab countries condemned Israel’s plan to de facto annex parts of Yehudah and Shomron as “a new war crime” against Palestinians, the Arab League said in a statement after a video conference meeting of Arab foreign ministers on Thursday.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, in announcing a deal to form a unity government, has set July 1 for the start of cabinet discussions on extending Israeli sovereignty to Jewish communities in Yehudah and Shomron and annexing outright the area’s Jordan Valley.

Later on Thursday, diplomats from eight European countries and the European Union warned Israel against annexation in a teleconference with an Israeli diplomat, according to Channel 12.

Britain, France, Germany, Spain, Sweden, Ireland, The Netherlands, Belgium and the E.U. participated in the meeting, in which they said such a move would harm Israel’s standing in the world.

On Wednesday, the foreign policy adviser of Joe Biden, the Democratic Party’s presumptive nominee for president, reiterated the candidate’s opposition to unilateral annexations, though he left room for a reevaluation if conditions change.