EU Expresses Concern Over Israeli Settlement Expansion in the West Bank
BRUSSELS: The European Union has strongly condemned the controversial E1 construction project in the West Bank, urging the Israeli government to immediately withdraw its recent construction tenders.
The E1 settlement is a far cry from any plan to build a viable settlement, and is opposed by a high-ranking EU representative, who stressed that all Israeli settlements, both in the West Bank and the Gaza area, are strictly forbidden under international law.
The official announcement noted that the planned development in the E1 area would actually make the West Bank into distinct parts and separate East Jerusalem from the rest of it, thus impairing the future viability of the two-state solution.
Moreover, the European bloc highlighted steps taken by prosecutors in recent times in dealing with specific incidents of settler violence, and reiterated its call for Israel to end all settlement expansion activities and to hold perpetrators to account. The transfer comes in the wake of international criticism following the tender’s advances raising concerns over potential legal and reputational issues for companies bidding on projects.