TEL AVIV — Lawmakers from 20 different countries in Europe, Africa and Latin America signed a letter on Wednesday endorsing Israel’s plan to extend sovereignty over parts of the West Bank, The Jerusalem Post reported.
The letter, signed by the chairs of the Israel Allies Caucuses in their respective countries, said the parliamentarians support Israel’s right to apply Israeli law over parts of the West Bank and the Jordan Valley.
“We affirm that the Jewish communities of Judea and Samaria have been a key part of the biblical and ancestral homeland of the Jewish nation for centuries,” the letter reads, referring to the West Bank by its biblical name.
“We maintain that Israel applying Israeli civil law to already existing Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria is appropriate and recognizes the democratic wishes of those communities.”
The parliamentarians also called for freedom of access to key biblical sites to members of all religions, including “the Tomb of the Patriarch and Matriarchs in Hebron, the site of Jacob’s dream in Beit El and the tabernacle’s resting place in Shiloh, among many other religious sites.
“We believe that the application of sovereignty to these communities in Israel will not affect the Palestinian people negatively but rather bring the possibility for peace and prosperity closer to the region. Applying Israeli law to already existing Jewish communities in Israel can be part of a realistic regional peace plan which recognizes current realities.”
The European signatories included Israel Allies Caucus leaders Slovakia, Wales, Finland, Italy, Romania and the Netherlands. Slovakian MP Peter Kremsky, who heads one of the largest Israel caucuses in Europe with 30 MPs, said the area in question has “always been an important part of Israel and Israeli history.”
“I fully support this statement and believe in peace for all people living in these territories,” Kremsky said.
Zambia, Malawi, Ghana, South Africa, Nigeria, Madagascar and Kenya were represented among the African signatories.
“I am proud to stand in support for Israel’s legal, biblical and historical right to apply sovereignty to the Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria,” MP Joyce Chitsulo, chair of the Malawi Parliamentary Israel Allies Caucus.
“The Israelis living in these established communities since 1967 deserve to live under domestic Israeli governance instead of military control. The time has come to accept the current reality on the ground.”
Latin American representatives from Argentina, Colombia, Suriname, Mexico, the Domincan Republic and Guatemala also signed the letter.
Congressman Fidel Reyes Lee, chairman of the Guatemalan Parliamentary Israel Allies Caucus, said:
We want to send a message of support to the State of Israel from the Guatemalan Congress, regarding the application of Israeli civil law to already existing Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria. Guatemala has always been on the side of the Jewish people and the State of Israel at the most important moments in its history, and here we are from the Guatemalan Congress reiterating our unconditional support for the State of Israel.
The report cited Israel Allies Foundation president, Josh Reinstein, as praising the parliamentarians for their “bold statement” endorsing the plan.
“This is not just an American phenomenon, all over the world millions of Bible-believing Christians are waiting with bated breath to finally realize the dream of sovereignty in Israel’s heartland,” Reinstein said. “The courageous leadership of our parliamentary chairmen as demonstrated by their bold statement in support of sovereignty is a testament to the strength of faith-based diplomacy.”
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