Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh said today the international community must move from condemning Israel to taking serious measures and sanctions against it.

He made the remarks during his speech at the celebration of the Nordic Day for the Nordic countries (Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Norway) in Ramallah, in the presence of a number of ministers, ambassadors, and consuls.

“The escalation by the Israeli government is a disaster, from the displacement in Masafer Yatta to the assassination of journalist Shireen Abu Akleh. Today, Israel assassinated in cold blood another journalist, Ghufran Warasanah. The Israeli army adopts a policy of shooting with the intention of killing and this is what we see daily,” the prime minister said.

He added that sanctions must be placed on Israel, as many international institutions and organizations have said in their reports that Israel is an apartheid state in terms of legislation and implementation.

“Israel is systematically destroying any opportunity to materialize the establishment of a Palestinian state through land confiscation in favor of settlement expansion,” Shtayyeh said. “We are now witnessing a political vacuum and we must work together to find a political initiative to move things forward, end the occupation, and create hope for the Palestinian people.”

“I call on you to follow Sweden’s footsteps and recognize the state of Palestine. This is the response to the occupation, and a message to Israel, which is working to undermine the two-state solution, that you are with us to preserve the two-state solution,” he added.

Source: Palestinian News & Info Agency (WAFA)