PLO Delegation to the US Urges Return of Crude Israeli Gifts

posted on: Dec 24, 2015

In a letter dated December 17, Ron Dermer, the Israeli Ambassador to the US, decided to send holiday season gifts all made in illegal Israeli settlements to the White House and other undisclosed US officials.
The General Delegation of the PLO to the US urges the recipients to return those gifts.

The areas, which Dermer refers to as “Judea” and “Samaria,” are, in fact, Palestinian lands illegally occupied by Israel. His audacity to misguide the gift recipients is both a cause and a symptom of the occupation. Dermer’s attempt to make a gibe at the European Union’s policy of labeling settlements, actually proves his ignorance of US regulations as set forth in a 1995 Notice of Policy by the Department of Treasury, requiring that goods produced in settlements not be labeled as “Made in Israel.”

As a matter of fact, Dermer’s attempt at mollifying Israeli violations through exploiting a revered holiday season is a representation of Israeli policies and official positions, highlighting Israel’s frivolous intentions about making peace.

Needless to say, Dermer’s travesty of a letter is nothing but a charade attempting to obscure the truth about the reality on the ground. For instance, just over the recent weeks, Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus Christ, has been the site of extrajudicial summary executions of Palestinians by Israeli occupation forces.

This absurd behavior aimed at normalizing the settlements and occupation must be rejected firmly and decisively.
Returning those gifts would only renew  genuine commitment to achieve peace and security.

Source: plodelegation.us