Online Reporter
Foreign ministers from European Union (EU) countries, Australia and Britain on Friday jointly condemned Israel’s plans to construct a settlement east of Jerusalem.
The approval of the “E1” project would bisect the West Bank and cut it off from East Jerusalem, fragmenting territory Palestinians seek for an independent state.
It was announced recently by far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and received the final go-ahead from a Defence Ministry planning commission on Wednesday.
“The decision by the Israeli Higher Planning Committee to approve plans for settlement construction in the E1 area, east of Jerusalem, is unacceptable and a violation of international law,” the foreign ministers said in a joint statement.
“We condemn this decision and call for its immediate reversal in the strongest terms,” said ministers from Australia, Belgium, Britain, Canada, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden. — Reuter
