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Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) National President Morton A. Klein released the following statement:
In the wake of yet another deadly Arab terror attack on innocent Jewish civilians on Thursday, the Biden administration sided with the terrorists: Biden’s extremist/Israel-bashing Secretary of State Antony Blinken illegally reversed the official U.S. policy (and violated longstanding binding international law) that it is legal for Jews to build homes in the Jewish homelands of Judea/Samaria. Here is what occurred:
On Thursday, February 23, 2024, three Arab terrorists from Judea/Samaria, armed to the teeth with an M-16 rifle, a submachine gun, grenades, and cartridges, exited from their vehicles and ran down Israel’s Highway 1 shooting at Jews who were simply sitting in their cars during a morning traffic jam. Before the Arab terrorists were neutralized by a brave Jewish civilian, the three Arab terrorists murdered an innocent Jewish man, Matan Elmaliach, and seriously injured at least eight other innocent Jewish women and other civilians, several of whom suffered multiple gunshot wounds.
This murderous Arab terror attack occurred on Israel’s Highway 1 between Ma’ale Adumim and Jerusalem – an area that has long been vulnerable to terror attacks due to U.S. interference with Israeli plans to build Israeli homes that would make it more difficult for terrorists to operate there. Israel correctly promptly responded to Thursday’s terror attack by discussing processing approvals for 3,000 long-needed homes.
Despicably, the next day, during a press conference in pro-Israel Argentina, far-left, extremist Biden’s Secretary Blinken stated that he was “disappointed” by Israel’s announcement about moving forward with these needed home-building approvals. Blinken then falsely stated that “new settlements are counterproductive to reaching an enduring peace,” are “inconsistent with international law,” and “only weakens – it doesn’t strengthen – Israel’s security.”
Blinken’s statements were shameful, blatant, illegal lies. Enduring peace and Israel’s security require as large a presence as possible of Jews in Judea/Samaria. Building in and around the suburbs surrounding Jerusalem, such as Ma’ale Adumim, is a key xxxxxx for preventing Arab terrorists from perpetrating another October 7 against the Jews living in Jerusalem and the entire country.
Significantly, binding international law, including the League of Nations mandate system, the San Remo Resolution, the British Mandate for the area, and the Anglo-American Convention (a signed and ratified U.S. treaty) specifically designate all of Israel – including Judea/Samaria – for “close Jewish settlement” and for the reconstitution of the Jewish homeland that had existed there long before Islam began. Further, the UN Charter, Article 80, known as the “Jewish People’s Clause” (and which also has the status of a signed and ratified U.S. treaty) continued all of the Jewish people’s rights under the Mandate after the Mandate’s expiration. Simply put, Israel and the Jewish people have the sole right to Judea/Samaria, and Jewish building there is perfectly legal. (See ZOA Summary: “Israel has the Legal Right to the Land Of Israel, Including Jerusalem, Judea/Samaria & the Golan, under Binding International Law.”)
Moreover, on November 18, 2019, then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and the Trump administration recognized, and made it official U.S. policy that Jewish communities in Judea/Samaria are legal and do not impede peace (the “Pompeo Doctrine”). Secretary Pompeo announced that the Trump administration was reversing the Carter and Obama administrations’ attempts to delegitimize the legality of “settlements” (Jewish communities in Judea/Samaria). Secretary Pompeo explained, “After carefully studying all sides of the legal debate, this administration agrees with President Reagan. The establishment of Israeli civilian settlements in the West Bank is not per se inconsistent with international law. . . . [C]alling the establishment of civilian settlements inconsistent with international law hasn’t . . . advanced the cause of peace.” (See “Secretary Michael R. Pompeo Remarks to the Press,” U.S. State Dep’t Archives, Nov. 18, 2019.)
When the Pompeo Doctrine was issued, ZOA and eminent Professor Eugene Kontorovich set forth further reasons why Israeli settlements in Judea/Samaria do not violate international law, and why Pompeo and Trump were correct to make that America’s official policy. (See “Pompeo Busts the ‘Occupation’ Myth,” by Eugene Kontorovich, Wall Street Journal, Nov. 19, 2019; and “ZOA Strongly Praises Pres. Trump, Sec. Pompeo Repudiating Orwellian Anti-Semitic Lie That Jews Building in Judea Samaria is Illegal,” Nov. 18, 2019.
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