Israel’s new West Bank settlement plan condemned by five Western countries

The United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy and Canada have strongly condemned Israel’s plan to invite bids for around 1,200 housing units in a strategically important area of the occupied West Bank.

In a joint statement, the five countries called the decision “unacceptable” and urged Israel to immediately withdraw the plan.

Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank are considered illegal under international law. Israel had suspended plans to build in the E-1 area, east of Jerusalem, for decades because of international pressure.

Palestinians and several of Israel’s allies fear that construction in the area would seriously undermine the possibility of a two-state solution. It could also effectively divide the West Bank and cut off East Jerusalem from other Palestinian areas.

In their joint statement issued on Thursday, the four European countries and Canada said the decision was particularly concerning as the West Bank was already facing severe instability because of unprecedented settler violence against civilians and serious restrictions on the Palestinian economy.

The statement added that the plan would not only move the parties further away from peace but also weaken Israel’s position internationally.

In a separate statement, the UN secretary-general said the E-1 project posed an “existential threat” to the establishment of a contiguous Palestinian state. Belgium’s foreign minister made a similar assessment.

Earlier on Thursday, UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband condemned the E-1 project. Israel’s foreign minister strongly rejected his remarks.

Meanwhile, Bedouin Palestinians living in the area and Israeli peace groups have challenged the plan in court. However, on Wednesday, Israel’s Housing Ministry invited bids for 1,234 of the 3,401 approved housing units. The Israeli government approved the construction of the units in August last year.

The project covers around 12 square kilometres between East Jerusalem and the Israeli settlement of Ma’ale Adumim.

When the plan was announced, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a far-right politician closely associated with the settler movement, said the idea of establishing a Palestinian state was being “erased”.

The deadline for submitting bids is October 19, just days before Israel’s general election, scheduled for October 27. If the tenders are finalised before the election, it could become more difficult for a future government to cancel them.

Israel has established around 160 settlements in the West Bank since occupying the territory and East Jerusalem during the 1967 Middle East war. Around 700,000 Israelis now live in these settlements, alongside roughly 3.3 million Palestinians.

Despite strong international opposition, successive Israeli governments have continued expanding the settlements.

Settlement expansion has increased significantly since Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu returned to power in late 2022 at the head of a coalition supported by right-wing and settler groups, and during the Gaza war that began after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023.

Opponents of the E-1 project warn that its implementation could effectively block the establishment of a Palestinian state. They say the project would separate the northern and southern parts of the West Bank and undermine plans for a contiguous Palestinian urban area linking Ramallah, East Jerusalem and Bethlehem.

Source: BBC 

SKS