Israeli authorities have harshly criticized several countries after their condemnation of Israel’s approval of 19 new settlements in the occupied West Bank, according to AFP.
Foreign Minister Gideon Saar described the condemnations as “morally wrong and discriminatory against Jews,” noting that foreign governments will not undermine the Jews’ right to live in the Land of Israel.
“The cabinet decision to establish 11 new settlements and to formalize eight additional settlements is intended, among other things, to help address the security threats Israel is facing,” Saar added.
This week, Israel’s security cabinet formally approved the establishment of 19 new settlements in the West Bank, raising the total number authorized in the past three years to 69.
Fourteen nations, including Britain, France, Germany, Spain, and Canada, issued a statement pressing Israel to rescind its approval of new settlements and halt further expansion, warning that such unilateral steps not only violate international law but also threaten the fragile Gaza ceasefire that has taken effect since October 10.
In this context, they also underscored their “unwavering commitment to a comprehensive, just and lasting peace based on the two-state solution… where two democratic states, Israel and Palestine, live side-by-side in peace and security.”
Israeli Settlement Expansion
A recent report by the United Nations Chief showed that Israeli settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank has reached its highest level since at least 2017, when the UN began systematically tracking such activity.
Excluding East Jerusalem, which Israel occupied and later annexed in 1967, the West Bank is home to approximately 500,000 Israeli settlers, alongside around three million Palestinians.
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