BRUSSELS (EJP)—The European Union said it was ‘’deeply disappointed’’ by the Israeli announcement of the building of new settlement housing units in the West Bank and urged the Israeli authorities to reverse this decision.
’We are deeply disappointed that the Israeli Land Administration has published new tenders for 1466 housing units in settlements in East Jerusalem and the rest of the West Bank. This move is unhelpful to peace efforts,’’ said an EU statement.
‘The statement continued, ’The EU and its Member States have repeatedly called on all sides – most recently in May – to exercise maximum restraint and to avoid any unilateral action which may further undermine peace efforts and the viability of a two-state-solution, such as continued settlement expansion.’’
In its May declaration, the EU pledged ‘’to continue monitoring the situation and act accordingly.’’
‘’We recall that the EU Foreign Affairs Council has also reaffirmed its commitment to fully and effectively implement existing legislation in relation to settlements,’’ the EU said, in a veiled threat to sanctions.
The EU said that ‘’what is needed right now is constructive engagement, in order to create a climate conducive to resumed negotiations.’’
‘’We call on the Israeli authorities to reverse this decision and to direct all their efforts towards an early resumption of the peace talks.’’
The announcement by Israeli Housing and Construction Minister Uri Ariel of plans and tenders for 1,500 new housing units in the West Bank came as a response to the swearing in of a new Palestinian unity government formed with the backing of amas, the Islamist movement ruling the Gaza Strip,
The move, the minister said, is a “fitting Zionist response to the formation of a Palestinian terror government.”
He said the housing plans were “just the beginning.”
Ariel’s construction plans relate almost exclusively to locations in West Bank settlement blocs, which most assume will remain part of Israel under any future peace deal. Just 38 of the units in question are scheduled to be outside these areas.
Israeli Justice Minister Tzipi Livni, who also served as Israel’s lead negotiator with the Palestinians, criticized Minister Ariel’s move, saying that it served the interests of his Jewish Home party.
Opposition leader and Labour Party leader Isaac Herzog said the failure of the government to advance towards a two state solution was leading Israel in the direction of a binational state as he called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to plot a new diplomatic path.
Last Monday, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas announced the formation of a Palestinian unity government backed by both his own Fatah faction and Hamas, which is committed to Israel’s destruction and is classified as a terror organisation by both the United States and the European Union.
The European Union has welcomed the formation of the new government one day after the US State Department declared its intention to work with this government.