The European Union (EU) on Wednesday asked the Israeli authorities to provide clarifications on the settlement projects announced recently in the occupied Palestinian territories.
A statement issued by the Union said “These decisions are expected to be reconsidered for being crucial to the ongoing efforts to hold serious peace talks.”
The statement underlined that the EU believes that the illegal settlement construction and other related activities including the evictions carried out lately in East Jerusalem and the displacement schemes targeting Bedouin communities in the West Bank undermine the peace process and the two-state solution.
The EU affirmed that it will contact its international and regional partners including the Middle East Quartet to start serious negotiations in order to reach a two-state solution since it is according to the Union the only viable way to achieve the aspirations of the two parties.
The Union noted that the Israeli authorities have approved new plans for the construction of thousands of settlement units in various parts of the West Bank and in the heart of al-Khalil city for the first time since 2002.
The statement pointed to the “sensitivity” related to Jerusalem in particular saying that any settlement activity launched in the city would adversely affect the possibility of establishing a permanent Palestinian state.
