Federal Government criticises settlement plans in the West Bank
Israel plans to build thousands of new homes, effectively splitting the territory in two. This could mean that a durable peace is even further out of reach.
Berlin/Tel Aviv (dpa) – The Federal Government has sharply criticised Israeli plans to build thousands of new housing units in the West Bank. “Settlement construction violates international law and relevant UN Security Council resolutions,” a Foreign Office spokesman in Berlin said. “It hampers a negotiated two-state solution as well as making it more difficult to put an end to Israel’s occupation of the West Bank, as called for by the International Court of Justice.”
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich recently announced plans to build around 3,400 housing units in the E1 area between East Jerusalem and the settlement of Maale Adumim. The area is considered one of the most sensitive flashpoints in the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. Its development would in effect divide the West Bank into northern and southern parts, making a contiguous territory for a future Palestinian state far more difficult, if not impossible.
The European Union and Turkey also criticised the settlement plans. Such unilateral decisions “exacerbate the already tense situation on the ground and further undermine any prospect for peace,” said EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, adding that they also violate international law.