Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has approved plans to build 3,400 new homes for Jewish settlers in the disputed West Bank while stating that the territory belongs to Israel and no Palestinian state will be established.
Main Points
The Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has officially approved plans for building 3,400 homes in the contested West Bank area of Maale Adumim. The plans represent what is being referred to as the ‘E1 area’ and when completed, will connect Jerusalem with the settlement of Maale Adumim while also dividing the West Bank.
Israel’s premier spoke at the event, declaring that the West Bank is territorially Israel’s and that they will protect their heritage, land, and security. Netanyahu went on to state his opposition to the establishment of a Palestinian state.
International Reactions
Under international law, the Israeli settlements in the West Bank are considered illegal. The United Nations’ International Court of Justice ruled last year that Israel must immediately halt all settlement activity in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, including the disputed E1 area, in addition to ending the occupation of these territories and the Gaza Strip.
The EU, France, Germany, and the UK have all disapproved of Israel’s plans to build in the E1 area.
Background
The settlement plans had been on hold for fifty years due to objections from the international community. For Palestinians and the international community, the E1 area is strategically important and without it, the Palestinian state cannot exist in the eastern part of Jerusalem.
The E1 area plan has been called by some an attempt to bury the idea of a Palestinian state.
