Israel Advances E1 Settlement Plan; Eight Nations, UK Condemn Action
The Story
Foreign ministers from eight nations, including Egypt, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, issued a joint statement condemning Israel's ongoing settlement policies in occupied Palestinian territory. They specifically rejected the E1 settlement plan and related activities east of occupied East Jerusalem. The ministers renewed their condemnation of settler violence and violations against Palestinians, emphasizing these actions breach international law and threaten regional peace. They warned the E1 plan is a dangerous escalation that severs West Bank contiguity and threatens a Palestinian state. The ministers called for immediate action to halt the E1 scheme and backed accountability measures, including international sanctions. Separately, Emily Thornberry, chair of the UK parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, renewed her call for the British government to ban imports of goods produced in Israeli settlements. The UK government announced it will introduce measures against Israel over the new settlement construction. UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband warned the project threatens a two-state solution and urged Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar to halt E1 plans. The Israeli government advanced the E1 settlement plan in the occupied West Bank, with the Housing Ministry issuing a notice inviting bids for the construction of over 1,200 housing units. The E1 project aims to create a continuous bloc of Jewish settlements from East Jerusalem to the West Bank, which critics say would divide the West Bank into north and south. Peace Now, an Israeli settlement watchdog, called the bid invitation a last-minute maneuver by the current Israeli government. The bids are due one week before Israeli elections at the end of October. The UN secretary general stated the plans posed an existential threat to a future Palestinian state. A joint statement from the UK, France, Germany, Italy, and Canada called the plans unacceptable and said they would drive a wedge through the West Bank. The European Union echoed this sentiment. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim also condemned the E1 project. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated in September that "We are going to fulfill our promise that there will be no Palestinian state." International law prohibits Israel from settling occupied land.
The Spread
What they agree on
- The Israeli government advanced the E1 settlement plan in the occupied West Bank.
- The E1 plan involves the construction of over 1,200 housing units east of occupied East Jerusalem.
- Multiple international bodies and nations, including eight foreign ministers and the UK, France, Germany, Italy, and Canada, condemned the E1 settlement plan.
- Critics state the E1 plan threatens the viability of a two-state solution by severing the territorial contiguity of the West Bank.
- All Israeli settlements in occupied territory are illegal under international law.
Where they split
- Some articles, like Egypt Independent and Dawn, focus on the joint condemnation by eight Muslim-majority nations, detailing their specific calls for accountability and sanctions.
- Middle East Eye and BBC News emphasize the UK's specific actions and statements, including Emily Thornberry's call for a goods ban and Ed Miliband's warning to Israel.
- BBC News provides a historical overview of settlement expansion, including specific figures like 160 settlements housing 700,000 Jews since 1967, and an example of construction in Tzofim.
- France 24 and Le Monde (English) highlight the joint statement from European nations (France, Germany, UK, Italy, Norway, Netherlands) condemning the E1 plan.