US Ambassador to Israel faults West for Israeli move to capture Gaza, says motivated by move to recognise Palestine

US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, commenting on the Jewish state’s controversial plan to militarily occupy all of Gaza, faulted Western countries for the action, stating that it was a response for the West’s collective decision to recognise Palestine, reports Times Of Israel.

Commenting on the matter, Huckabee said that while the US had not yet adopted a position on Tel Aviv’s controversial E1 Settlement project, Washington nonetheless did not consider Israeli settlements in the West Bank as a violation of international law, reflecting a shift in US policy.

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“One of the reasons we’re seeing the more aggressive decision to move into some of these areas is because it’s in reaction to what the Europeans have done — in concert with the Palestinian Authority — pushing for a unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state… that has had a totally disastrous effect, not only on the tension in Judea and Samaria, but it’s had a detrimental effect on resolving things in Gaza,” Huckabee said.

The US has argued that Hamas hardened its stance in negotiations after countries began to recognise a Palestinian state, but the French decision that began the trend came after the terror group submitted its response that led to the collapse of negotiations in Doha last month.

Moreover, the Israeli leadership had authorised a full capture of the West Bank prior to France’s recognition of Palestine.

“I don’t know what the Europeans thought they were going to accomplish, but by their actions, they’re accomplishing something that I don’t think they wanted to do, and that is to essentially to give a green light or encourage the Israelis to go ahead and take more pieces of Judea and Samaria, either by declaring sovereignty or annexation,” he remarked.

Terming the unilateral decision to recognise Palestinian statehood without Israel’s approval a violation of the Oslo Accords, Huckabee commented, “If there’s going to be this massive violation of the Oslo agreement, then I think people have to prepare for the consequences of that on both sides of the conflict.”