Westjordanland: Europäer: Israel muss Siedlungspläne zurücknehmen

Deutschland, France, the United Kingdom, and Italy have urged Israel to withdraw plans for a highly controversial settlement project in the West Bank. In a joint statement released by the governments of the four countries, it was stated that the expansion of settlements in the West Bank must cease. The settlement project not only moves peace further away but also continues to damage Israel's international reputation.

The Israeli Ministry of Construction had announced an auction for building over 1,200 housing units for the project late on Tuesday evening. Specifically, it concerns the so-called E1 area between East Jerusalem and the settlement of Maale Adumim. The area is considered one of the most sensitive points in the conflict between Israel and Palestinians.

Altogether, 3,400 housing units are planned. Building in the area would effectively split the West Bank into a northern and a southern part, making the creation of a contiguous territory for a future Palestinian state difficult, if not impossible. Under international pressure, Israel has repeatedly postponed plans for E1 in the past.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) had criticized the plans already on Wednesday. Warnings were also sent to German, Italian, British, and French businesses in their statement to be cautious when applying for construction tenders. "They should be aware of the legal and reputational consequences, including the risk of participating in serious violations of international law," the statement added.

The decision by the Israeli government to publish tenders for building the E1 settlement project was described as unacceptable. International law clearly states that Israeli settlements in the West Bank are illegal, this was the stance of the international community, including the UN Security Council, it was further stated.