UK, US and Germany condemns Israel for moving to legalise settlement outposts
The move to legalise nine settlement outposts and build an additional 10,000 homes in existing settlements was condemned by UK, France, Germany among others.
Israel has been widely condemned for announcing it would take steps toward legalising nine further illegal settlement outposts in the West Bank and build 10,000 new homes in existing settlements.
The nine outposts are both illegal under international and Israeli law, some of which are built on private Palestinian land and Israeli military zones. The Security Cabinet, led by Prime Minister Netanyahu, announced the moves on Sunday.
Legalising the outposts will require an approval by the High Court of Justice, which is currently in an open battle with the government over its intentions to weaken the court’s powers.
Netanyahu has previously said that expanding and building new settlements is a direct response to a string of Palestinian terror attacks that have killed 10 people in East Jerusalem in recent weeks, including three children.
“The announcement by #Israel of the annexation of these nine settlements, a blatantly illegal act which will only increase inflame tensions.”
– HH Prince @FaisalbinFarhan at the Press conference with High Representative @JosepBorrellF and Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit. pic.twitter.com/vKJxlkXqMz— Foreign Ministry ???????? (@KSAmofaEN) February 13, 2023
The UK, US, Germany, France and Italy issued a joint statement on Tuesday saying: “We are deeply troubled by the Israeli government’s announcement that it is advancing nearly 10,000 settlement units and intends to begin a process to normalise nine outposts that were previously deemed illegal under Israeli law.”
“We strongly oppose these unilateral actions which will only serve to exacerbate tensions between Israelis and Palestinians and undermine efforts to achieve a negotiated two-state solution,” the statement added.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken also condemned the move in a separate statement on Monday, saying the U.S. “strongly” opposes such unilateral measures, “which exacerbate tensions and undermine the prospects for a negotiated two-state solution.”
But more importantly for the new Israeli government’s declared intention to seek a peace deal with Saudi Arabia, the Kingdom’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan issued a harsh statement, calling the moves “a blatantly illegal act that will only serve to further inflame tensions and complicate the situation.”
The Palestinian Authority called on the international community to intervene, with Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh calling the government’s move “a recipe for escalation, whose dangerous consequences for the region and the world cannot be avoided, as they threaten the Palestinians’ existence.”
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