23 November 2010
VOA News
Palestinians are criticizing a new bill passed by Israel's parliament that would make it difficult for Israel to withdraw from the captured territories of East Jerusalem or the Golan Heights.
The legislation, approved Monday, requires a two-thirds vote of parliament to approve any withdrawal from those areas, considered crucial to peace negotiations with the Palestinians and Syrians.
If parliamentary approval is not given, withdrawal from either territory would become subject to a national referendum.
Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat denounced the measure as "a mockery of international law."
In comments Tuesday, he said under international law, Israel has a "clear and absolute obligation" to withdraw from areas it has occupied since the 1967 Mideast war.
Erekat also said ending the occupation of Palestinian land "is not and cannot be dependent on any sort of referendum."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said a referendum on a future peace deal would prevent an irresponsible agreement and provide strong public support for an accord that will answer Israel's national security interests.
The law would not affect territorial concessions within the West Bank or the Gaza Strip, areas that Israel has not annexed.
On Sunday, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said he will not return to peace talks with Israel unless it stops building settlements on all land the Palestinians want for a state, including occupied East Jerusalem.
Some information for this report was provided by AP and AFP.
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