US Senator Dianne Feinstein has warned in an identical letter to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli ambassador to the US Ron Dermer about the implications of a unilateral Israeli annexation of land in the occupied West Bank.

“I fear that any steps taken by Israel to unilaterally annex land in the West Bank will result in long-term costs to Israel’s national security and diplomatic relations,” said Feinstein in her letter.

She continued, “I urge you not to proceed with unilateral annexations, as such effort to change the facts on the ground outside of negotiation could ultimately make it impossible for Israel to secure a permanent and lasting agreement with the Palestinians.”

The US senator urged that an agreement with the Palestinians “is the only path toward an enduring resolution of the conflict that satisfies both the Palestinians’ inherent right to self-determination and Israel’s future as a secure, Jewish, and democratic state.”

“I am hopeful that the Palestinian Authority and your government will come to the negotiating table to reach an agreement so that our shared goal of two states, living side-by-side in peace and prosperity, can be realized”.