WASHINGTON/LONDON (EJP)—While the White House appeared to show understanding of this week’s decision by the Israeli government to build a new settlement in the West Bank for the first time in 20 years, the UK, France and Germany condemned the decision along with the European Union.
On Thursday, Israel’s security cabinet approved the construction of a settlement that was promised by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to former residents of Amona. Their outpost was evacuated after Israel’s Supreme Court ruled it was an illegal construction.
The cabinet on Thursday also announced the approval of tenders for some 2,000 new settlement homes in the West Bank — housing units whose planned construction, among some 5,500, was first announced in January.
“We would note that the Israeli Prime minister made a commitment to the Amona settlers prior to President Trump laying out his expectations, and has consistently indicated that he intended to move forward with this plan,” a US official said.
Construction will take place near Shiloh and will represent the first new settlement approved for construction in the West Bank in two decades.
In February, President Trump said during his meeting with Netanyahu that he would like to see Israel “hold back on settlements a little bit.” Earlier in February, Trump had said settlement expansion “may not be helpful” in achieving peace.
But the UK, France and Germany on Friday condemned the Israeli security cabinet’s decision.
Britain’s Foreign Minister Boris Johnson said in a statement: “These announcements are contrary to international law and seriously undermine the prospects of two states for two peoples. As a strong friend of Israel, and one prepared to stand up for Israel when it faces bias and unreasonable criticism, I urge Israel not to take steps such as these, which move us away from our shared goal of peace and security and make it harder to achieve a different relationship between Israel and the Arab world.’’
Johnson added that he was “disappointed that Israel plans to expropriate additional West Bank territory as ‘state land’, and press forward with plans for almost 2,000 housing units in spite of significant international concern.”
The French foreign ministry said Israel’s announcements were “extremely worrying” and that Paris “firmly condemns these decisions that threaten peace and risk exacerbating tensions on the ground.”
“France reiterates that settlements are illegal under international law, notably under Resolution 2334 of the United Nations Security Council. It calls on Israel to respect its international obligation,” the statement read, in reference to the controversial resolution passed in December, with a US abstention, which labeled Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem “illegal.”
A German government spokesperson said that “the federal government expects the Israeli government to clarify which solution they are pursuing for a lasting peace with the Palestinians. Germany will not recognize any change in the 1967 lines, which has not been agreed between the parties.”
EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini too criticized the Israeli government’s decisions which she said, ‘’all threaten to further undermine prospects for a viable two-state solution.’’
She said that the two-state solution ‘’remains the only realistic way to fulfill the aspirations of both sides and achieve just and lasting peace on the basis of a negotiated agreement between both parties.’’
“The European Union reiterates that all settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, are illegal under international law, constitute an obstacle to peace and threaten to make a two-state solution impossible,” Mogherini said. “The European Union calls on Israel to end all settlement activity and to dismantle the outposts erected since March 2001 in line with prior obligations.”
She also said that the European Union takes note of reports that Israel intends to restrict significantly future settlement construction in view of advancing Israeli-Palestinian peace.
“Affirmative steps are badly needed in order to reverse the negative trends that are imperiling the two state solution and thereby create a political climate conducive to resuming meaningful and credible negotiations. We expect declarations of intent to be followed by actions on the ground,” Mogherini said.