Israel practices most heinous form of racism: Palestinian premier

By Qais Abu Samra

RAMALLAH, Palestine (AA) - Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh said Monday that Israel’s “practices in the Palestinian territories are the most heinous form of racism."

This came during his meeting with about 58 ambassadors, consuls, representatives of countries, organizations and members of the diplomatic corps accredited to Palestine, in the presence of the Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki at the Prime Minister's Office in Ramallah, according to a statement by the Prime Ministry.

"The attempt to expel the people of Sheikh Jarrah [in Jerusalem] from their homes is not a legal issue but rather a political one, and the Israeli judiciary is politically directed against the Palestinian presence in the city," Shtayyeh said.

He called on the international community to "move immediately to stop the violations of the Israeli occupation against our people in the city of Jerusalem and its holy sites, in addition to stopping attempts to confiscate the homes of citizens and displace them."

Shtayyeh stated that "the events of Jerusalem and the uprising of its people in the face of the colonizer reflects the importance of the holy city for every Palestinian and has brought back the Palestinian issue to the agenda of the world's priorities."

Tensions have run high in the Sheikh Jarrah area since last week as Israeli settlers swarmed in after an Israeli court ordered the eviction of Palestinian families.

Palestinians protesting in solidarity with the residents of Sheikh Jarrah have been targeted by Israeli forces.

Israel occupied East Jerusalem during the 1967 Arab-Israeli war and annexed the entire city in 1980 – a move that has never been recognized by the international community.​​​​​​​

*Writing by Mahmoud Barakat