On the 1st July, British PM Boris Johnson wrote an op-ed in the Israeli press, titled ‘As Israel’s friend, I urge you not to annex’. (click the link to read)
Whilst the Zionist Federation of the UK and Ireland is the umbrella organisation for the Zionist movement in the United Kingdom, representing more than 30 organisations and over 50,000 affiliated members from across the zionist and political spectrums, we are of the firm belief that whatever one’s position on the prospect of Israel extending sovereignty over parts of Judea and Samaria / the West Bank and the Jordan Valley, the facts regarding Israel’s status in the disputed territories – a status defined by internationally-ratified treaties which remain valid and legally binding today in article 80 of the UN charter – must be acknowledged and not misrepresented for political gain, or worse, misrepresented and distorted to demonise and delegitimise Israel in the international arena.
In response to PM Boris Johnson’s op-ed, Brig.-Gen. Yossi Kuperwasser, an Israeli intelligence and security expert and former Director General of Israel’s Ministry of Strategic Affairs, wrote an open letter last week in which he explicitly laid out and explained the actual legal status of Israel’s presence and rights in the disputed territories, emphasising the actual fact that any move on Israel’s part will be a legal extension of sovereignty and not a so-called “annexation” (which very obviously implies force and illegality) whilst also explaining why he feels the move is necessary to move the peace process forward to the advantage of both sides in this conflict.
You can read Brig.-Gen. Yossi Kuperwasser’s open letter in full by clicking here
