Washington and its allies 'oppose' Israeli settlement expansion
The United States and their European allies, including France, said Tuesday, February 14 "firmly opposed" to the expansion of Israeli settlements in the Palestinian Territories.
Quite a rare fact, it was in a joint press release that the major Western powers condemned the decisions of the Jewish state.
© RANEEN SAWAFTA / REUTERS
Text by: RFI Follow
1 min
Quite a rare fact, it is in a joint press release that the major Western powers condemned this Tuesday, February 14 the decisions of the Jewish state to legalize nine colonies in the occupied West Bank and to project new housing in existing colonies.
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With our correspondent in Jerusalem
,
Sami Boukhelifa
Washington, Berlin, Paris, Rome and London denounced in a joint statement Israel's decision to build nearly 10,000 housing units in the
occupied West Bank
, as well as to legalize nine outposts.
In other words, wild and illegal settlements until then, even under Israeli law.
The five countries "
strongly oppose these unilateral actions which only increase tensions between Israelis and Palestinians and undermine efforts to achieve the negotiated two-state solution
".
Barely hours after the publication of this press release, the Israeli High Planning Committee officially approved the construction of these new settlements.
The message of the Jewish State is clear: "
It is not an international condemnation that will change anything in the situation
".
And it's true, recognizes a Western diplomatic source: “
In the face of Israel, we show total softness
”.
Western communiqués have never stopped Israel's thirst for conquest.
A creeping colonization, which seems almost irremediable.
Nearly half a million Jewish settlers now live in the occupied West Bank.
Illegally, they seize Palestinian lands and resources.
"
And yet, levers exist to put pressure on the Jewish state
," recalls a Palestinian source.
“
It is the lack of will that is the problem.
The West rightly did not hesitate to sanction Russia for the occupation and annexation of Ukrainian territories.
And we have the right to press releases
, ”says this same source ironically.
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To read also: Israel / Palestinian Territories: Barcelona suspends its twinning with Tel Aviv
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