Two groups affiliated to the Israeli Peace Now movement, B’Tselem and Americans for Peace Now, were criticised by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday for speaking against illegal Israeli settlements and occupation at a UN Security Council meeting.<\/p>\n
B\u2019Tselem Executive Director, Hagai El-Ad, said that the Israeli occupation \u201cflew right in the face of its claim to be exercising \u201cdemocracy\u201d and reminded that occupation was affecting even the smallest aspects of Palestinian lives and had to end.\u00a0 The UN Security Council must act and the time is now\u201d and later denounced Israel for building \u201cillegal settlements,\u201d paving the way for a Security Council resolution against Tel Aviv.<\/p>\n
In response PM Benjamin Netanyahu said the two organizations that joined the \u201cchorus of mudslinging\u201d against Israel as well as recycling the calls that Israeli \u201coccupation and the settlements are the reason for the conflict\u201d with Palestinians. He also vowed tobar Israelis from doing volunteer work at B\u2019Tselem as means of doing their military service.<\/p>\n
B\u2019Tselem response was that it would not be intimidated by Netanyahu,\u00a0 \u201cWe will not stoop down to the prime minister\u2019s level. We will not be cowed and neither will the hundreds of thousands in Israel who opposed the occupation.\u00a0 We will continue to tell the truth: The occupation must end.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n According to UN statistics, Palestinians now make up the largest percentage of refugees in the entire world.\u00a0 Ever since the beginning (of the occupation) territories have been dotted with 120 settlements. International consensus believes these settlements have been constructed on occupied territory and are, therefore, illegal.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"