BRUSSELS, Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh today called on the European Union (EU) to put its economic weight behind its political power, and not to be satisfied with statements of condemnation and denunciation over the continuation of colonial settlement expansion in the occupied Palestinian territories.

This came during a meeting with the President of the European Council, Charles Michel at the Council headquarters in the Belgian capital, Brussels.

The Prime Minister renewed his call to the EU to hold European settlers who live in colonial settlements accountable, in accordance with the principles of the EU, which considers settlements contrary to international law, and that all settlements are illegal.

Shtayyeh valued the European Union’s position on labeling settlement products, stressing that it is time to prevent these products from entering European markets.

The Prime Minister renewed his call to the EU countries to immediately recognize the State of Palestine, in order to protect the two-state solution which the EU has always advocated, pointing out that with the increase in the pace of settlements, this solution may become inapplicable.

He thanked the European Union for its continued support for Palestine and for building the state institutions, calling for increasing this support and fulfilling its financial pledges approved for the year 2021.

The Prime Minister called on the EU to put actual pressure on Israel to allow the elections to be held in Jerusalem, including allowing Jerusalemites to cast their votes, and run as electoral candidates; as stipulated in the previously implemented signed agreements with Israel.

Source: Palestinian News & Info Agency