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Harsh Reality of Israeli Occupation Persists in Spite of Kerry's Efforts

Weekly protests in West Bank villages against the Israeli occupation continue, with little hope that Kerry’s initiative will bring positive results.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry waits to greet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem, June 28, 2013. After seeing Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Jordan, Kerry travelled to Jerusalem for evening talks with Netanyahu - a meeting that had been originally expected on Saturday. REUTERS/Jacquelyn Martin/Pool (JERUSALEM - Tags: POLITICS) - RTX114VG

As US Secretary of State John Kerry returns to the West Bank this week for his fifth visit in three months, the reality for Palestinians has not improved under the direct rule of the Israeli occupation, nor has the Israeli government shown much interest in the two-state solution.

On the contrary, Deputy Defense Minister Danny Danon stated on June 6 in an interview with the Times of Israel that “there’s no majority for a two-state solution” within the Israeli cabinet. At the same time, Israel plans on expanding and building more Jewish-only settlement units — illegal under international law — while its occupation forces continue to violently subdue West Bank village protests.

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