UK, France, Germany, Italy and Canada condemn Israel’s West Bank settlement project

The UK, France, Germany, Italy, and Canada have expressed strong disapproval of Israel's plans to begin tendering for the construction of approximately 1,200 new settlement homes in the strategically significant West Bank region. The Western powers deemed the decision "unacceptable" and urged Israel to "retract the plans immediately."

All settlements are deemed illegal under international law; however, Israel has avoided building in the E1 area east of Jerusalem for several decades out of international pressure. Many of Israel's allies and Palestinians argue that this move would significantly hinder the prospects of a two-state solution, effectively splitting the West Bank and isolating East Jerusalem.

The joint statement published by the European allies and Canada on Thursday highlighted the heightened concern due to the "grave instability" in the West Bank, with "unprecedented levels of violence" by settlers against civilians and severe restrictions on the Palestinian economy. The statement emphasized that these plans not only take Israel further from peace but also undermine its international standing.

The United Nations Secretary-General and Belgium's Foreign Minister also condemned the E1 plan, describing it as an "existential threat" to a contiguous Palestinian state. Despite an Israeli court challenge by Bedouin Palestinians and Israeli peace groups, the Israeli Housing Ministry issued a tender for 1,234 of the 3,401 housing units approved by the Israeli government in August for 12 square kilometers of land between East Jerusalem and the Maale Adumim settlement.

The bid deadline is 19 October, just days before Israel's general election on 27 October, making it more difficult for any future government to overturn the tenders. The expansion of settlements, which Israel has built since its occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem in the 1967 Middle East war, has surged since Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu returned to power in late 2022, fueled by the Gaza war.

However, recent opponents warn that the E1 project would effectively block the establishment of a Palestinian state by splitting the West Bank into two and hindering the development of a contiguous Palestinian urban area linking Ramallah, East Jerusalem, and Bethlehem.