Palestine Ambassador Rejects Distortion of Hebron’s Status Quo
By Wallace Mawire Palestine Ambassador in Zimbabwe Tamer Almassri has rejected any attempt to alter the legal, historical and political status quo of Hebron and has strongly condemned the decision by Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich to strip the Hebron Municipality of its authority over parts of the city, including the Ibrahimi Mosque, a UNESCO World Heritage Site listed as endangered.
The Ambassador said the State of Palestine unequivocally reaffirms that Israel holds no sovereignty over Hebron or any Palestinian city. He said the Palestinian people’s bond with Hebron is grounded in historical rights, international law and an indigenous presence spanning thousands of years. He said Israel’s violations of signed agreements, including the 1997 Hebron Protocol, do not create new facts on the ground, nor do they diminish Palestinian sovereignty in any form.
Ambassador Almassri further condemned the continued expansion of illegal Israeli settlements across the West Bank, as well as the ongoing campaign of settler violence against Palestinian civilians, acts that he said are emboldened and encouraged by the extremist leadership within the Israeli government.
He added that Israel’s persistent violations of international law and its continued enjoyment of impunity will only deepen instability, fuel further escalation and gravely undermine any prospects for a just and lasting peace in the region.
The State of Palestine has called upon the international community to uphold its obligations under international law, to hold Israel accountable and to take immediate and concrete action to protect the Palestinian people, their land, and their heritage.
