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WORLD NEWS Tuesday 26 May 2020
Israeli leader vows to push ahead with annexing West Bank

By JOSEF FEDERMAN letter this week that annex-
Associated Press ation could harm U.S.-Israeli
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli ties. The EU's foreign policy
Prime Minister Benjamin chief, Josep Borrell, has
Netanyahu on Monday said annexation would vio-
pledged to annex parts of late international law and
the occupied West Bank in vowed to use "all our dip-
the coming months, vow- lomatic capacities" to stop
ing to move ahead with it. Closer to home, the Pal-
the explosive plan despite estinians last week cut off
a growing chorus of con- security ties — a valuable
demnations by key allies. tool in a shared struggled
The Palestinians, with wide against Islamic militants —
international backing, seek with Israel to protest the an-
the entire West Bank as the nexation plan.
heartland of a future inde- Saudi Arabia, an influential
pendent state. Annexing Arab country that main-
large chunks of this territory tains behind-the-scenes
would all but destroy the relations with Israel, an-
faint remaining hopes of a nounced its "rejection of
two-state solution. the Israeli measures and
In an apparent reference to plans to annex Palestinian
the friendly administration lands."
of President Donald Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, center, wearing a face mask in line with public health The Arab League has con-
Netanyahu said Israel had restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic, stands with his lawyers inside the court room as his demned it as a "war crime,"
corruption trial opens at the Jerusalem District Court, Sunday, May 24, 2020.
a "historic opportunity" to Associated Press and both Jordan and Egypt
redraw the Mideast map — the only two Arab coun-
that could not be missed. over Israel in Washington. ary, envisions leaving some his annexation plan to the tries at peace with Israel —
Israeli media quoted him as Israel captured the West 30% of the territory under government in July. have harshly criticized it.
saying he would act in July. Bank in the 1967 Mideast permanent Israeli control Netanyahu told party Netanyahu spoke a day
"This is an opportunity that war. It has settled nearly while giving the Palestin- members in a closed-door after beginning his trial on
we will not let pass," he 500,000 Jewish settlers in ians expanded autonomy meeting that "we have a corruption charges.
told members of his con- the territory, but never for- in the rest of the area. The target date for July and we The prime minister
servative Likud party. He mally claimed it as an Israeli Palestinians have rejected don't intend to change it," launched a blistering tirade
added that the "historic territory due to stiff interna- the plan, saying it is unfairly Likud officials said. against the country's legal
opportunity" to annex the tional opposition. biased toward Israel. The plan has already ex- system when he arrived
West Bank had never be- But the Trump administra- With Trump's re-election posed a partisan divide in at court, accusing police,
fore occurred since Israel's tion has taken a much prospects uncertain this Washington. Joe Biden, the prosecutors and media of
founding in 1948. The com- softer line toward Israeli November, Israeli hard-lin- presumptive Democratic conspiring to oust him. As
ments threatened to push settlements than its prede- ers have urged Netanyahu nominee in the U.S. presi- he spoke, hundreds of sup-
Israel closer to a confron- cessors. Trump's Mideast to move ahead with an- dential elections, recently porters cheered outside.
tation with Arab and Euro- team is dominated by ad- nexation quickly. The Israeli said that annexation would Speaking to Likud on Mon-
pean partners, and could visers with close ties to the leader's new coalition deal "choke off" hopes for a two- day, Netanyahu said he
deepen what is becoming settlements, and his Mid- includes an official clause state solution. 18 Demo- was "very moved" by the
a growing partisan divide east plan, unveiled in Janu- allowing him to present cratic senators warned in a support.q

U.N. virus therapy trial pauses

hydroxychloroquine testing

By MARIA CHENG and the Lancet that showed ed. Tedros said the execu-
JAMEY KEATEN people taking hydroxychlo- tive group behind WHO's
Associated Press roquine were at higher risk global "Solidarity" trial met
GENEVA (AP) — The World of death and heart prob- on Saturday and decided
Health Organization said lems, there would be "a to conduct a comprehen-
Monday that it will tempo- temporary pause" on the sive review of all available
rarily drop hydroxychloro- hydroxychloroquine arm of data on hydroxychloro-
quine — the anti-malarial its global clinical trial. "This quine and that its use in the
drug U.S. President Trump concern relates to the use trial would be suspended
says he is taking — from its of hydroxychloroquine and for now. Dr. Michael Ryan, This Tuesday, April 7, 2020 file photo shows a bottle of
global study into experi- chloroquine in COVID-19," WHO's emergencies chief, hydroxychloroquine tablets in Texas City, Texas.
mental COVID-19 treat- Tedros said, adding that said there was no indica- Associated Press
ments, saying that its ex- the drugs are approved tion of any safety problems he has not tested positive warned health profession-
perts need to review all treatments for people with with hydroxychloroquine in for COVID-19. His own ad- als last month that the drug
available evidence to date. malaria or autoimmune dis- the WHO trial to date, but ministration has warned should not be used to treat
In a press briefing, WHO eases. Other treatments in that statisticians would now the drug can have dead- COVID-19 outside of hospi-
director-general Tedros the trial, including the ex- analyze the information. ly side effects, and both tal or research settings due
Adhanom Ghebreyesus perimental drug remdesivir Last week, Trump an- the European Medicines to numerous serious side
said that in light of a pa- and an HIV combination nounced he was taking hy- Agency and the U.S. Food effects that in some cases
per published last week in therapy, are still being test- droxychloroquine although and Drug Administration can be fatal.q