Israel rejects western criticism of new West Bank settlements

Israel has strongly rejected criticism from 14 western countries, including Belgium, over its approval of new settlements in the occupied West Bank. It called the condemnation discriminatory.

Foreign minister Gideon Sa’ar said on Thursday foreign governments would not “restrict the right of Jews to live in the Land of Israel” and described the criticism as morally wrong and discriminatory against Jews. He said the decision was intended to address security threats and to prevent the creation of a Palestinian state.

The reaction follows a joint statement published by the UK Foreign Office on Wednesday, in which 14 countries urged Israel to reverse its decision. The signatories (Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Iceland, Ireland, Japan, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain and the United Kingdom) said the move violates international law and risks fuelling instability.

Israel’s security cabinet approved the settlements last weekend. According to Israeli officials, a total of 69 settlements have been approved over the past three years in the West Bank, which Israel has occupied since 1967. More than 700,000 Israeli settlers live in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, alongside around three million Palestinians.

The countries warned that the decision could undermine efforts to implement a US-brokered plan for Gaza and damage prospects for peace. They also opposed any form of annexation and the expansion of settlements, including the controversial E1 project near Jerusalem, which could cut the West Bank in two and isolate East Jerusalem.

The 14 countries reaffirmed their support for Palestinian self-determination and for a negotiated two-state solution and said there is no alternative to an agreement reached through talks.

^{A deserted mosque in the settlement of Sa-Nur, south of Jenin, in the occupied West Bank © Zain JAAFAR / AFP}