RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry on Tuesday “strongly condemned” Israel’s decision to establish 800 settlement units in the West Bank, Saudi Press Agency reported.
“The ministry renewed its categorical rejection of this move as a new violation of decisions of international legitimacy, a threat to peace and undermines the efforts for a two-state solution,” the statement added.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered construction plans advanced on Monday for some 800 Jewish settler homes in the occupied West Bank, anchoring the projects in the final days of the pro-settlement Trump administration.
Palestinians condemned such construction as illegal and most countries view Israeli settlements as violating international law.
An announcement by Netanyahu’s office said the homes would be built in the settlements of Beit El and Givat Zeev, north of Jerusalem, and in Tal Menashe, Rehelim, Shavei Shomron, Barkan and Karnei Shomron in the northern West Bank. It gave no starting date for construction.
Palestinians seek to establish a state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, with East Jerusalem as its capital, all land captured by Israel in a 1967 war.
“It is an attempt to race against time and benefit from the last days of the current US administration,” Wasel Abu Youssef, a member of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, told Reuters.
The Trump administration has effectively backed Israel’s right to build West Bank settlements by abandoning a long-held US position that they break international law.
Gayil Talshir, a political scientist at Jerusalem’s Hebrew University, said Netanyahu wants the settlement move “to be set in stone before the Biden administration comes into office, and maybe changes Israeli-American tacit understandings on settlements that existed under Trump.”
Netanyahu also wants to tell voters he is “the only leader who can stand up to Biden and make sure he doesn’t dictate our policy in the (Palestinian) territories,” Talshir said.
Most countries view Israeli settlements as violating international law. More than 440,000 Israeli settlers now live among 3 million Palestinians who have limited self-rule under Israeli occupation.
Nabil Abu Rudeineh, a senior adviser to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, said all settlements are illegal and in violation of the international law and UN’s Security Council resolutions.
He said there will no security or stability in the region without the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.
The Egyptian Foreign Ministry also expressed its concern over the announcement. It said such measures only undermine the chances for a two-state solution.
The EU also renewed its opposition to the Israeli settlement policy in the occupied Palestinian territories.
“Settlement activities are in violation of the international law and undermine the peace process,” said a spokesman for the European External Action Service in Brussels.
France on Tuesday also condemned Israel’s move, and in a statement the Foreign Ministry urged Israeli authorities to drop the plan.
Referring to Israel and the Palestinians, who seek a state in Israeli-occupied territory, it said: “(We) call on the parties to avoid any unilateral measures that could jeopardize the two-state solution founded on international law and agreed parameters.”
Saudi Arabia ‘strongly condemns’ Israeli settlement in West Bank
https://arab.news/9f7fx
Saudi Arabia ‘strongly condemns’ Israeli settlement in West Bank
- Kingdom says the move is a threat to peace, undermines efforts for a two-state solution
- France also says it condemns Netanyahu's plan
The secret keepers of desert balance in Saudi Arabia
- How the Kingdom’s wildcats control pests, protect public health, and sustain the ecosystem
RIYADH: During the summer of 2024, two desert lynx kittens were born in Taif as part of Saudi Arabia’s efforts to protect and increase the population of caracals in the country.
Although caracals are critically endangered, wildcats in general play a significant ecological role in the Kingdom. They act as natural pest control, and Saudi Arabia is committed to conserving these species while increasing their populations to support a thriving ecosystem.
Despite the Kingdom’s harsh, arid climate, conditions are suitable for wildcats not only to survive but also to flourish. Among the terrestrial species inhabiting Saudi Arabia are sand cats, Arabian wildcats, and the desert lynx.
Felis margarita, or sand cats, are small — around 40-60 cm — with pale sandy fur that allows them to blend into the desert. They have a broad head, large ears, and long hair on the bottom of their feet to walk on hot sand.
“It is small in size and does not mate with other cats. It is the only cat species in the world with hair on the soles of its feet instead of skin to prevent it from sinking into the sand,” said Obaid Alouni, a Saudi environmentalist.
Alouni explained that one defensive technique sand cats use is to lie flat on the ground to avoid detection.
“It lies flat on the ground when it senses danger to avoid being noticed by other animals.”
These cats primarily feed on rodents and small reptiles, occasionally large insects, obtaining their water from their prey. Sand cats are native to West Asia and help regulate rodent and insect populations, preventing outbreaks and reducing disease spread.
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Interestingly, raising sand cats as domestic pets is becoming more popular, Alouni said. But he emphasized that adoption is easier when they are kittens, as they remain wild animals. Although widely distributed across the Kingdom, exact population numbers are difficult to determine due to their elusive nature. They are currently listed as “least concern” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Similar to sand cats, Arabian wildcats (Felis lybica) are found across the Arabian Peninsula and play a vital role in environmental health.
“They are wild cats that live independently without human intervention,” Alouni told Arab News.
Arabian wildcats resemble domestic cats but have thicker, sandy to grey-brown coats with faint stripes or spots and ringed tails with blunt tips. Like sand cats, they feed on rodents, birds, reptiles, and insects and are listed as “least concern” by the IUCN.
However, Alouni warned that pure populations of Arabian wildcats in Saudi Arabia could be threatened by hybridization with domestic cats.
“Currently, wild cats face the problem of interbreeding with domestic cats. This weakens their immune systems and makes them more susceptible to diseases from other cats,” he said.
“This contributes to the extinction of the purebred lineage and, consequently, the disappearance of their wild instincts,” he added.
DID YOU KNOW?
• Sand cats are the only cat species with hair on the soles of their feet, allowing them to walk on hot sand without sinking.
• Caracals, locally known as Al-Washaq, are native and endangered, capable of jumping 3 to 4 meters in a single leap.
• Pure populations of the Arabian wildcat are at risk due to hybridization with domestic cats.
While both species are desert dwellers, sand cats are harder to spot as they avoid heavily trafficked areas. They are mainly found in the Ad Dahna desert and the Empty Quarter, where sand dunes dominate the landscape. Arabian wildcats, however, inhabit rocky or mountainous areas such as the Tuwaiq Mountains, valleys, and farms with abundant small prey.
“Wild cats come around towns and villages, and unfortunately, begin mating with domesticated cats that people release outside,” Alouni explained. He stressed the importance of keeping domestic cats away from wildcat habitats, including deserts and camping sites.
The third wildcat species native to Saudi Arabia, the caracal or desert lynx, is critically endangered. “The lynx is classified in size between large and small, and is distinguished by its jump, which can reach 3 meters or even 4 meters in the sky,” Alouni described.
Locally known as Al-Washaq, desert lynx have reddish-tan coats, long legs, and black-tufted ears. They feed on birds, rodents, and sometimes small antelopes. Thankfully, these cats are protected under Saudi law due to their critically endangered status.
Hunting any sand cats, Arabian wildcats, or desert lynx can result in fines of approximately $20,000, according to the Saudi Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture.
“There is a very severe financial penalty in Saudi Arabia for anyone who hunts it,” Alouni added.
The Kingdom has strict regulations to protect endangered animals, criminalizing not only hunting or killing but also trade. Violators could face penalties of up to $8 million, up to 10 years in prison, or both.
Overall, sand cats, Al-Washaq, and Arabian wildcats are essential to maintaining a healthy environment in Saudi Arabia. By controlling rodent populations, they help prevent outbreaks that could threaten agriculture and public health.
