UK and 14 international partners condemn Israel’s E1 settlement plans, warning expansion could undermine Palestinian territorial contiguity and prospects for a two-state solution, reports Asian Lite News Desk
The UK and a group of European and other allied governments have condemned Israel’s plans to issue construction tenders for the E1 settlement project in the occupied West Bank, warning that the development would undermine prospects for a two-state solution.
The joint statement was issued on 20 August by the leaders of the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, the European Commission, the Netherlands, Canada, Norway, Australia, New Zealand, Sweden, Belgium, Spain, Austria and Greece.
The leaders described the Israeli government’s decision to publish construction tenders for the E1 project as “unacceptable”, saying the international community had repeatedly raised concerns about the proposed settlement expansion.
They warned that the E1 development could create a physical barrier across the West Bank, damaging the territorial contiguity of the Palestinian territories and making a future Palestinian state more difficult to establish.
The statement said international law was clear that Israeli settlements in the West Bank were illegal, adding that this position had been reaffirmed by the United Nations Security Council.
The leaders also pointed to what they described as “unprecedented” levels of settler violence against civilians in the West Bank, alongside serious restrictions affecting the Palestinian economy.
Against that backdrop, they urged the Israeli government to immediately withdraw the E1 plans and halt further settlement expansion in the West Bank.
The statement warned that continued settlement activity would not only move the region further away from a negotiated peace but could also damage Israel’s international standing.
The governments also called on businesses not to bid for the construction tenders associated with the E1 project.
Companies were warned that participation could carry legal and reputational consequences, including the risk of becoming involved in what the leaders described as serious breaches of international law.
The joint statement reaffirmed the governments’ commitment to a “comprehensive, just and lasting peace” based on a two-state solution.
The leaders said they would continue to act in support of that objective, as international concern over settlement expansion and rising violence in the West Bank continues.
The E1 area, located east of Jerusalem, has long been a particularly sensitive issue in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Plans to develop settlements there have faced strong international opposition because of concerns over their potential impact on the territorial viability of a future Palestinian state.
