CNA Staff, Jun 12, 2020 / 05:30 am
An English cardinal and the Archbishop of Canterbury have expressed their joint opposition to the potential annexation of West Bank territory.
A statement released June 12 by the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales and the office of the Archbishop of Canterbury said that Cardinal Vincent Nichols and Archbishop Justin Welby had written letters objecting "to any move by the Government of Israel to annex West Bank territory" after July 1.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said last Sunday that he intends to annex all West Bank settlements July 1, the earliest date allowed under a deal agreed by the country's new ruling coalition.
According to the Times of Israel, this would mean that the government would extend Israeli sovereignty to around 3% of West Bank territory, comprising 132 settlements that are home to an estimated 450,000 Israelis.