Israel’s decision this week to approve new communities in Judea and Samaria violates international law and risks “fueling instability,” 14 countries, including France, Germany and Italy, said on Wednesday.
“They risk undermining the implementation of the Comprehensive Plan for Gaza amid efforts to progress to phase two and harming prospects for long-term peace and security across the region,” the countries alleged.
Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Iceland, Ireland, Japan, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain and the United Kingdom also joined the statement. Several of those countries have also recognised a Palestinian state recently.
The statement came after the Israeli security cabinet approved the communities on Sunday. Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said that the goal was to help prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state.
The United Nations said earlier this month that Israeli settlement expansion reached its highest rate since at least 2017.
What to say? The timing of this couldn’t be worse and Smotrich needs to keep his mouth shut.