US, Canadian, European Foreign Ministers Rebuke Israel Over Settlement Expansion

Foreign ministers from four European countries and Canada have joined the United States in condemning the recent decision by Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to authorize the construction of nine Jewish settler outposts in the West Bank.

In a joint statement issued on Tuesday, the foreign ministers of Britain, France, Germany, Italy, and the United States voiced their concerns about the Israeli government’s announcement on Sunday. They strongly opposed any unilateral actions that could lead to increased tensions between Israelis and Palestinians and undermine efforts to achieve a negotiated two-state solution.

Israel granted retroactive authorization to nine settler outposts in the West Bank and announced the mass construction of new homes in established settlements. The move was criticized by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who said he was “deeply troubled” by the decision.

The settlements built by Israel on land captured in the 1967 war with Arab powers are viewed as illegal by most world powers, including the United States. Israel disputes this, citing security interests, historical and religious ties, and political and legal claims.

Since the 1967 war, Israel has established 132 settlements on land Palestinians see as the core of a future state, according to the nongovernmental watchdog organization Peace Now. Besides the authorized settlements, groups of settlers have built around 200 outposts without government permission. Israeli forces have razed some of the outposts, but others remain, ignored by the government, and a few have been authorized retroactively. The nine granted approval on Sunday are the first for the new Netanyahu government.

The announcement has sparked concerns among world powers that it could lead to increased violence in the West Bank, where tensions are already high.