A coalition of 21 countries, including Sweden, has condemned Israel's decision to expand the Ma'ale Adumim settlement on the occupied West Bank. The expansion plan threatens to divide the West Bank, undermining the possibility of a two-state solution and potentially escalating violence and instability in the region.
21 Nations Condemn Israeli Settlement Expansion on West Bank
21 Nations Condemn Israeli Settlement Expansion on West Bank
A coalition of 21 countries, including Sweden, has condemned Israel's decision to approve a plan to expand the Ma'ale Adumim settlement on the occupied West Bank.
The statement was signed by countries such as the United Kingdom, France, Australia, Canada, and Italy.
"We condemn this decision and strongly urge its immediate reversal," the foreign ministers wrote.
The construction plans would effectively split the West Bank, dividing the Palestinian territory into two.
The 21 countries noted that Israel's finance minister stated that the plan for the so-called E1 area "makes a two-state solution impossible."
"It brings no benefits to the Israeli people... Instead, it risks undermining security, fueling further violence and instability, and moving even further away from peace," they wrote.
In addition to halting the E1 plan, the signatories demand that Israel lift financial restrictions on the Palestinian Authority, which governs the West Bank.