Key facts
- Four members of the Elders group warned of the potential disappearance of Palestinian territories.
- They accused the Israeli government of seeking to make Palestine disappear physically, economically, culturally, and politically.
- The group visited the occupied West Bank, Israel, Jordan, and Lebanon between July 11-16.
- They called for an end to Israeli impunity and for accountability.
- Former Irish President Mary Robinson urged the EU to suspend trade with Israel and ban products from settlements.
- The Elders observed a worsening situation in the West Bank and warned that settlement expansion could lead to Palestine's disappearance.
Four prominent international figures known as the Elders have issued a stark warning about the potential disappearance of Palestinian territories, accusing the Israeli government of actively seeking to erase Palestine.
The group, which includes former Irish President Mary Robinson, former South African First Lady Graca Machel, former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark, and Pakistani lawyer Hina Jilani, made the statement following a visit to the occupied West Bank, Israel, Jordan, and Lebanon from July 11-16.
They stated that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government is pursuing policies aimed at making Palestine vanish "physically, economically, culturally and politically." Speaking to journalists in Jerusalem, the Elders emphasized the need for international accountability to end Israeli "impunity" in the West Bank and east Jerusalem, areas Palestinians envision as their future capital.
"I think if we were to summarise the key message that we've heard across civil society, both in the West Bank and here, as to what are they looking for, it's accountability and no impunity," said Clark.
Robinson expressed her "shame" at the European Union's perceived lack of a firm stance, advocating for Brussels to suspend trade aspects of its agreement with Israel and to ban products originating from Israeli settlements. The Elders noted a significant deterioration in the West Bank's situation since their last mission in 2023, warning that continued settlement expansion would effectively cause "Palestine disappearing before our eyes."
According to the Israeli anti-settlement group Peace Now, Netanyahu's government has approved the establishment of 102 settlements in the West Bank since taking office.