EU slams Israel’s issuing of 805 East Jerusalem tenders as illegal obstacle to peace

THOMAS COEX (AFP)

Buildings under construction in the Israeli settlement of Pisgat Zeev in front of the Wall separating Jerusalem from the city of Ramallah (background), in the West Bank, October 26, 2017

The Peace Now NGO said Israel this week issued construction tenders for over 800 new housing units

The European Union on Saturday slammed Israel’s continued settlement expansion after the Housing Ministry earlier this week issued tenders to construct over 800 new settlement units in East Jerusalem.

“The policy of settlement construction and expansion in East Jerusalem continues to undermine the possibility of a viable two state solution with Jerusalem as the future capital of both states, which is the only realistic way to achieve a just and lasting peace,” the statement from EU Spokesperson Maja Kocijancic read.

The Israeli NGO Peace Now said on Thursday that Israel had issued tenders for the construction of 805 housing units in two Israeli neighborhoods beyond the Green Line in East Jerusalem- 460 units in Pisgat Ze’ev and 345 units in Ramot.

“The European Union is strongly opposed to Israel’s settlement policy, including in East Jerusalem, which is illegal under international law and an obstacle to peace. The EU will continue to engage with both parties and international and regional partners to support a resumption of a meaningful process towards a negotiated two-state solution.”

Israel has begun building nearly 20,000 settler homes in the West Bank and East Jerusalem during the past 10 years of Benjamin Netanyahu as prime minister, according to a recent annual report by Peace Now. 

The report found that 70% of settlement construction during the past decade of Netanyahu’s government were implemented precisely in places that jeopardize a two-state solution, i.e crossing the “Green Line” border internationally accepted as the approximate division of Israeli and Palestinian territory in a future agreement.

“This means that the Israeli government is digging the country a pit to fall in. Every house built in the settlements and every family that moves there will need to be brought back into Israel in a painful and difficult evacuation,” Peace Now said.

“Even if the government does not believe that peace can be achieved in the near future, there is no logic to expanding the settlements and making the solution impossible.”

Israeli settlements are seen as illegal under international law and major obstacles to peace as they are built on land the Palestinians see as part of their future state.

Israel, however, differentiates the legality of settlements between those it has approved and those it has not.