Israel rebuffs UK call to halt West Bank settlement project
The E1 housing project would further separate east Jerusalem, occupied and annexed by Israel and predominantly inhabited by Palestinians, from the West Bank.
British Foreign Minister Ed Miliband denounced Israel's E1 housing plan, describing it as "unacceptable and destructive" and a threat to the viability of a two-state solution. The project, approved by Israel in August 2023, would build approximately 3,400 homes on land between Jerusalem and the settlement of Maale Adumim, dividing Palestinian areas from the West Bank.
Miliband urged Israel to halt the project immediately and retract the tender, accusing the UK of standing firm against what it perceives as Israeli settlement expansion. The Israeli Foreign Minister, Gideon Saar, vehemently rejected Miliband's statement, asserting that both Israelis and British have the right to live in their respective lands.
He accused Britain of only blaming Israel and ignoring Palestinian extremism, which he claimed is responsible for antisemitic attacks on British Jews. Additionally, Britain announced it would impose sanctions on individuals involved in the illegal settlement expansion.
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- Israel rebuffs UK call to halt West Bank settlement project freemalaysiatoday.com
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