Twenty-one countries, including Britain and France, condemned Israel on Thursday for approving the E1 settlement plan, describing it as a “death blow” to a future Palestinian state.
The nations said the plan “is unacceptable and constitutes a blatant violation of international law.” Shortly after, Britain announced it had summoned Israel’s ambassador, Tzipi Hotovely, over the approval.
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Finanace Minister Bezalel Smotrich presents planned settlement construction in E1
(Photo: Menahem Kahana / AFP)
The joint statement was signed by foreign ministers from Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Britain, as well as the European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice President of the European Commission.
According to the statement, “Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said the E1 plan would make a two-state solution impossible by dividing any future Palestinian state and restricting Palestinian access to Jerusalem. This does not benefit the Israeli people but distances us further from peace and risks increasing violence and instability.”
The countries urged Israel to halt the E1 project, saying unilateral action undermines collective security and prosperity in the Middle East. They called on Israel to stop settlement construction in line with UN Security Council Resolution 2334 and remove restrictions on transfers of Palestinian Authority funds.
Last week, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced at a press conference in Ma’ale Adumim the launch of the plan, which includes roughly 3,400 new housing units. The E1 area effectively severs the territorial continuity between Ramallah and Bethlehem.
The Israeli NGO Peace Now has previously called the plan a “death blow to a Palestinian state.” While European countries and the U.S. have previously blocked Israeli attempts to advance construction there, the process now appears to be accelerating, with construction potentially starting within months.
Smotrich described the plan connecting Ma’ale Adumim to Jerusalem as “the final nail in the coffin” of the Palestinian state concept. For Palestinians and the international community, he said, the area is strategically crucial for a state with its capital in East Jerusalem.
“Approving these plans buries the idea of a Palestinian state and continues the de facto sovereignty measures we are implementing with the government’s formation,” Smotrich said. “After decades of international pressure and freezes, we are breaking conventions and connecting Ma’ale Adumim to Jerusalem.”
Earlier this week, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the settlement of Ofra, saying, “We will do everything to ensure our continued hold on the land of Israel, prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state, and block ongoing attempts to uproot us from here.”