Portugal, along with 20 other countries and the EU, calls for the reversal of the Israeli plan to expand settlements

The foreign ministers of about 20 countries, including Portugal, and the head of European diplomacy urged Israel today to “immediately reverse” the “unacceptable” plan to build new settlements near Jerusalem.

“The decision of Israel’s Higher Planning Committee to approve settlement plans for construction in the E1 area, east of Jerusalem, is unacceptable and constitutes a violation of international law,” the representatives wrote in a joint statement signed by the Portuguese Minister of State and Foreign Affairs, Paulo Rangel.

The signatories state that they condemn this decision and call for its “immediate reversal in the strongest terms.”

The issue at hand is the controversial plan to expand settlements near East Jerusalem, definitively approved on Wednesday by Israeli authorities, which foresees the construction of 3,400 housing units that will prevent access to the city from the occupied West Bank, complicating the establishment of a contiguous Palestinian state.

In a statement, the Israeli Finance Minister and settler, Bezalel Smotrich (far-right), confirmed the decision of the Israeli Civil Administration, saying that it “practically erases the illusion of ‘two states’ and consolidates Jewish control over the heart of the Land of Israel.”

In the statement, the heads of diplomacy and the EU refer to these declarations by the Israeli minister – who, along with the Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben Gvir, also far-right – are barred from entering the Netherlands and Slovenia.

“Minister Smotrich says this plan will make a two-state solution impossible, dividing any Palestinian state and restricting Palestinian access to Jerusalem. This does not bring benefits to the Israeli people,” they warn.

Instead, they caution, the expansion of settlements “risks undermining security and fostering more violence and instability, taking us further away from peace.”

The position of Benjamin Netanyahu’s government comes about a month before the United Nations General Assembly, where some countries, including France, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Portugal, intend to recognize the State of Palestine.

The statement asserts that “the Government of Israel still has the opportunity to prevent” the E1 plan – as it is designated – “from going any further.”

“We urge them to urgently withdraw this plan,” the heads of diplomacy plead.

For the signatory countries, “the unilateral action of the Israeli government undermines our collective desire for security and prosperity in the Middle East.”
“The Israeli government must put an end to the construction of settlements in accordance with United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334 [of December 2016] and lift its restrictions on the finances of the Palestinian Authority.”

The joint position, which was published on the social media of the Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is signed by the ministers of Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.

The high representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, joined this position.

“We condemn this decision and call for its immediate revocation in the strongest terms,” she stated.