«Israeli» Settler Group «Invited to Trump’s Inauguration»

Local Editor

An "Israeli" settler group said it had been invited to attend Donald Trump's inauguration as controversy continues over the President-elect's stance on the "Israeli"-Palestinian conflict.

The "Yesha Council" represents "Israeli" settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories that are held to be illegal under international law.

Its foreign envoy, Oded Revivi, said his group had been invited to Trump's inauguration on 20 January but did not immediately confirm whether representatives would attend.

The "Yesha Council", which lobbies in the "Israeli" regime and abroad, was formerly headed by Naftali Bennett, now leader of the right-wing "Jewish Home party" and the "Israeli" entity's so-called education minister.

Trump's transition team had not responded to The Independent's request for comment and confirmation on whether any groups representing Palestinians or 1948 Palestinians had also been invited to the inauguration.

A record $90m [£73m] had been raised in private donations for the event, which had already sparked controversy over the lack of A-list performers willing to sing.

A resolution adopted by the UN Security Council last month condemned settlements in the occupied West Bank as "a flagrant violation under international law and a major obstacle to the achievement of the ‘two-state' solution and a just, lasting and comprehensive peace", and demanded the "Israeli" entity halt all construction.

The outgoing US administration's choice to abstain from the resolution, rather than veto it, was condemned by Trump.

He responded by tweeting: "As to the UN, things will be different after Jan 20th."

The President-elect had also appointed several pro-"Israel" figures to prominent posts and pledged to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to al-Quds [Jerusalem].

Mahmoud Abbas, President of the Palestinian Authority, warned that the move would have a "disastrous impact on the ‘peace' process, on the ‘two-state' solution and on the stability and security of the entire region".

Dozens of countries are expected to reiterate their opposition to illegal "Israeli" settlements and call for the establishment of a Palestinian state as "the only way" to ensure peace in the region a day before Trump's inauguration.

France is hosting representatives from more than 70 countries at a peace summit on Sunday, where delegates are expected to urge the "Israeli" entity and the Palestinians "to officially restate their commitment to the ‘two-state' solution."

It will also affirm that the international community "will not recognize" changes to the "Israeli" entity's borders after the Six Day War of 1967, when the entity captured the Gaza Strip from Egypt and East al-Quds and the West Bank from Jordan, without agreement from both sides.

But "Israeli" Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ruled out a return to the 1967 lines, and many members of his coalition oppose Palestinian independence and support expanded settlements in the face of condemnation from Britain and other allies.

The "Israeli" entity had settled at least 600,000 of its population in the occupied West Bank and East al-Quds, which the UN considers a violation of the Geneva Convention, which bans a power from transferring its inhabitants into occupied territory.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team