The Palestinian Foreign Minister warns of Israeli escalation as the elections approach

Hadeel Ghabboun Amman, Jordan - The Palestinian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriate Affairs, Farsin Aghabekian Shaheen, warned of the “worsening” of the Israeli escalation and restrictions on the city of Jerusalem, noting that this is happening “acceleratingly and at an increasing pace,” due to what she said is Israel’s “continuous impunity.” The Minister affirmed support for the Jordanian Hashemite custodianship of the Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, which was agreed upon again during the meeting of the “Arab Ministerial Committee charged with international action to confront illegal Israeli policies and measures in occupied Jerusalem,” which was held in the capital, Amman, last Wednesday.

The minister expected, in an exclusive interview with Ofek News in Arabic, following the committee’s work in Amman, that “the pace of Israeli escalation” would increase, whether in Jerusalem or in the West Bank, with the upcoming Israeli legislative elections expected next October, if a decisive international stance and legal accountability were not taken, saying: “It is known that Palestinian blood is a winning card in the elections,” as she described it. She pointed out that what she described as “the great concern today” is what is happening in the West Bank, considering that the ongoing settlement and “settler terrorism” are two arms used by “the occupying state to intimidate and displace Palestinians,” and that “their pace today is faster than before.”

She said: “What is happening is settler terrorism and nothing else,” noting that there were more than 11,000 attacks carried out by settlers on Palestinian towns and villages from north to south within 6 months. She added: “We expect that settler terrorism will expand in the West Bank, and that there will be greater restrictions on Palestinian clearance funds,” noting that there are approximately 17 billion Israeli shekels accumulated with the Palestinians and Israel refuses to disburse them, in addition to more than 5 billion dollars withheld from clearance funds; Saying that it is "Palestinian money that can meet the basic needs of the Palestinians."

She continued: "In the Gaza Strip, what is happening will continue, because Israel is sending clear messages that it is continuing." Aghabakian considered that "Israel is working according to a systematic policy to eliminate the two-state solution, erase the Palestinian people from the Palestinian land, displace them, annex, and establish what is called Greater Israel."

She believed that there is a lot that the international community can do, and that some European countries have taken a series of measures regarding settlements and the return of dual nationalities to their countries, indicating that they are insufficient. Regarding the United States, the Palestinian Foreign Minister said that it is “a strategic ally of Israel, and must be dealt with on this basis,” explaining: “We want to reach the ears of the American administration with what is required, because America has interests, and Israel should not be a burden on America and its interests in the region.”

The minister said that "genocide in Gaza continues," despite an agreement recently reached, noting "the continuation of killing, starvation, blocking services, and closing crossings." She stressed that “there is no life in the Strip anymore,” and called for “activating the work of the Peace Council in the Gaza Strip, as it has been formed for nearly 10 months, and the suffering of the Strip continues,” according to her.