It seems Israel is taking full advantage of the crisis in the peace process to push its anti-peace agenda.

Razing houses in East Jerusalem and issuing tenders for another 900 settlement units in illegal settlements, these ones in Gilo, a particularly ugly housing estate near Bethlehem, the Israeli government is continuing to send the kind of unmistakable signals that really ought to leave this country exposed as the pariah state it is.

Israel can no longer hide behind the “war on terror” or any other war in which it wants to be counted on the side of the good guys. It is a rogue state, in contravention of international law, occupying another people’s land in contempt of human rights law and common decent standards of human behaviour.

It is no longer enough to appeal to the United States or European countries, who have proved singularly unwilling to enforce international law on Israel, which quite openly talks about starting more wars in the region, perhaps with Lebanon, perhaps with Iran.

Israel has been given a free pass for too long. Without returning occupied land, it cannot arrive at peace with the Palestinians and there can be no comprehensive peace in this region.

All Arab countries stand behind the Palestinians’ legitimate struggle for freedom and independence. There is an offer of peace on the table from these countries that is in line with international law. Israel rejects this offer, because it rejects international law. As such, the offer needs to be withdrawn.

Israel is a threat to peace. Its illegal and immoral thieving of Palestinian land, known as its settlement project, needs not only to be frozen, it needs to be rolled back before anyone can sit at the same table.

It is sad to watch the world’s only superpower being led by the nose by this little country. It is time the US realised that any plans it may have for a stable Middle East goes out the window with every single settlement unit that is built on occupied territory.