Israeli Defence Minister’s Twitter handle likely hacked, posts pro-Palestine message

Israeli Defence Minister Naftali Bennett’s Twitter account apparently got hacked as an image of Palestinian flag was posted with a call to free Palestine. The tweet, which was captioned as “freedom for palestine...” was soon deleted but not before the screenshot and the archive link were retrieved. However, the Defence Minister has not issued any clarification on the tweet.

Israel and Palestine have been in constant conflict, and the Middle East peace plan unveiled by US President Donald Trump has not been able to impress Palestinians or the Arab League. In January, Trump’s proposed peace plan acknowledged the sovereignty of Israel over important settlement blocs in the West Bank. It also proposed to create the State of Palestine with its capital in East Jerusalem.

Calling it a ‘historic breakthrough’ and ‘win-win opportunity’ for both sides, Trump had said that Israel authorised the release of a conceptual map for the first time. “We will form a joint committee with Israel to convert the conceptual map into a more detailed and calibrated rendering so that recognition can be immediately achieved,” said Trump in the joint statement.  

Read: Palestinians Announce Two-week Ban On Tourists Visiting Cities In West Bank

Trump administration has been aggressive about his foreign policy towards Israel by taking decisions against Palestinian interests. Recently, the US announced a reversal of its decades-long policy on Israeli settlements in the West Bank, calling the occupation not necessarily a violation of international law. 

Jolt for Palestine

It was the second jolt to Palestinian quest for statehood after the Trump administration had decided to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and move its embassy from Tel Aviv to the holy city. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo informed that the US no longer agrees with the 1978 State Department legal opinion that held the occupied territories “inconsistent with international law”.

Read: Bernie Sanders Calls Saudi Royals 'murderous Thugs', Opines On Iran & Palestine-Israel

Meanwhile, India has been firm on the two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and called upon both parties to resolve issues through direct negotiations. Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar urged the parties to engage with each other and find an acceptable two-state solution for peaceful coexistence.

Read: India Asks Israel, Palestine To Resolve All Issues Through Direct Negotiations

Read: OIC Rejects Trump's Middle East Plan, Shows Support For Palestine