EU Diplomat Reaffirms His Rejection of Israel’s Illegal Settlements

Jerusalem, MINA – After a visit to Area E1 and Qalandia in the Jerusalem area on Monday, European Union diplomats reiterated their rejection of illegal settlements built by Israel on Palestinian land.

The visit was organized by Israeli NGO Ir Amim, who briefed diplomats on the very worrying consequences of the settlement plan. WAFA reported.

The EU representative, Sven Kühn von Burgsdorff said the possible implications of the threat of relocating the Bedouin community, moving towards further de facto annexation of Palestinian land in the Jerusalem area and further Palestinian territories in the West Bank.

They reiterated that resettlement is illegal under international law and significantly undermines ongoing efforts to rebuild trust.

The European Union and like-minded countries will not recognize any changes to the pre-1967 borders, including those relating to Jerusalem.

“The recent approval of thousands of housing units for Israeli settlers is aimed at severing Palestinians from their cities and changing the identity of East Jerusalem. Israeli settlements clearly violate international law and are a major obstacle to a just peace,” Burgsdorff said.

In October, Israel’s Higher Planning Council approved plans to build 2,860 new housing units in 30 settlements in the West Bank. (T/RE1)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)