The Palestinian Initiative for the Promotion of Global Dialogue and Democracy (MIFTAH) re-asserts its alarm over the Israeli government's neglect of, and deceptive conduct towards, illegal settlement activities on "occupied Palestinian territories."

A long-awaited and delayed meeting of an Israeli ministerial committee to investigate the legality of 42 settlements established after the signing of the Wye River memorandum has adopted nothing of Barak's election promises to tackle illegal settlement activities in a "claimed" effort to restore the stalled Middle East Peace Process.

In fact, the first meeting of the committee has unjustifiably placed certain legitimacy on the status of illegal settlements by stating that only 7 of the 42 locations are "illegal." This indicates that the committee is indirectly justifying the status of the remaining 35 settlements.

The heart of this matter is not 7, 35, or 42 illegal settlements; it is "all" Israeli settlements that are illegal and should be dismantled if peace efforts are ever to bare fruit.

In light of these developments, MIFTAH re-emphasizes its grave concern regarding the Israeli government's inefficiency to deal comprehensively with the settlements issue.

MIFTAH views, without exceptions, all Israeli settlement activities as violations of internationally binding agreements; most notably, the Fourth Geneva Convention, which clearly states that the occupying power cannot displace parts of its own population into the territories it occupies.

MIFTAH strongly urges the Israeli ministerial committee, in particular Prime Minister Ehud Barak, to re-consider its conclusions and adopt a more firm policy to dismantle illegal settlements on occupied Palestinian territories, if hopes for genuine peace in the region are to ever become a reality.

Furthermore, MIFTAH calls upon all democratic and peace advocating governments to place the necessary pressures on the Israeli government, in particular Prime Minister Ehud Barak, to freeze all settlement activities, dismantle all existing settlements on occupied Palestinian territories, and to abide by the principles of International Law and the Fourth Geneva Convention.