Washington-SANA
In its annual report on human rights issued last night, the administration of US President Joe Biden refrained from describing the West Bank as the land occupied by the Israeli entity, in continuation of the policy of the administration of former President Donald Trump, which abandoned this description in its previous reports.
The French Press Agency quoted Lisa Peterson, who is responsible for human rights at the US State Department, as saying, in response to a question about the reason that prompted the Ministry not to return to the formula that was adopted before 2018 regarding the description of the West Bank as the occupied land, that "American diplomats preferred to adhere to geographical determinants only." .
Peterson claimed, "This is in line with our general practices ... and we also believe it is clearer and more useful to readers seeking information on human rights in these areas."
Until Trump came to power in 2017, the US State Department, in its annual report on the human rights situation in the world, devoted a chapter to (Israel and the Occupied Territories), but this title changed in 2018 to (Israel and the West Bank and Gaza), which is the same phrase that was mentioned in the report. Issued last night.
The change in the description of the occupied land in 2018 came as an introduction to Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of the Israeli entity, and then the announcement of annexing the occupied Syrian Golan to the occupation entity, as well as his decision not to consider the Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank in violation of international law.
