Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat said the bill, passed by Israel's parliament late on November 22 night, makes "a mockery of international law, which is not subject to the whims of Israeli public opinion."

In Damascus, the foreign ministry said "Syria totally rejects this Israeli measure which changes nothing to the fact that the Golan is Syrian territory and cannot be part of any negotiations."

The legislation, which was backed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, passed with 65 Knesset members in favour and 33 against, and no abstentions. It requires any government signing a peace agreement that cedes territory in east Jerusalem or the Golan, or any other sovereign territory within Israel itself, to secure either approval of parliament or hold a national referendum.

But Erakat said Israel had no right to put any future territorial concessions to a public vote. "Ending the occupation of our land is not and cannot be dependent on any sort of referendum," he said. "Under international law there is a clear and absolute obligation on Israel to withdraw not only from east Jerusalem and the Golan Heights, but from all of the territories that it has occupied since 1967."

For his part, Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas said in the West Bank city of Ramallah the move was a half measure aimed at "blocking a political settlement and all roads leading to peace."

AFP