{
  "id": 1543936,
  "title": "Israeli gov’t’s settlement policy is “disastrous”, says former German ambassador",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/17/israeli-govts-settlement-policy-is-disastrous-says-former-german",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-17T06:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "IamExpat Germany (All Germany News)",
    "slug": "iamexpat-germany-all-germany-news",
    "url": "https://www.iamexpat.de/expat-info/germany-news/israeli-govts-settlement-policy-disastrous-says-former-german-ambassador"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Former German ambassador to Israel, Steffen Seibert, has criticized the Israeli government's settlement policy in the West Bank, calling it \"disastrous.\" Speaking to DIE ZEIT, Seibert stated that while Israel's security is a matter of national interest for Germany, the support for Israeli settlements does not extend to those in the Jordan Valley. He described the Israeli government's settlement projects as \"displacement through psychological and physical violence,\" and stated that under international law, these settlements are illegal and driven by an ideology that the land belongs exclusively to Israel, as God gave it to them. Seibert emphasized that this concept of \"reason of state\" does not support a sense of superiority over another population. He urged the German government to clarify what is meant by \"standing by Israel,\" clarifying that it does not mean supporting every action taken by the Israeli state, including its occupation, which has been ongoing for 60 years. Amnesty International characterizes the Israeli military project in the West Bank as ruthless policies of land confiscation, illegal settlement, dispossession, institutionalized discrimination, and immense suffering for Palestinians. Since October 7, 2023, there has been an increase in settler violence in the West Bank, with around 3,800 Palestinians (nearly half of them children) displaced and 76 Palestinians, including 18 children, killed by Israeli forces or settlers in the occupied territory. During a recent UN speech, Israeli UN Ambassador Danny Danon dismissed claims that Israeli settlement projects hinder peace and asserted the Israeli state's biblical, historical, and legal entitlement to the West Bank. The Israeli government's expansion plans extend beyond Palestinian territories, with Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich stating in April that the next phase of the conflict would involve expanding Israel to parts of Syria and Lebanon.",
  "summary": "Former German ambassador to Israel has said that while Israel’s security is part of Germany’s reason of state, support “does not apply to settlers”.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "IamExpat Germany (News)",
        "title": "Israeli gov’t’s settlement policy is “disastrous”, says former German ambassador",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/17/israeli-govts-settlement-policy-is-disastrous-says-former-german-1544019",
        "published": "2026-08-17T06:00:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}