Israeli settlement plans in the West Bank draw condemnation from US, UK, Europe
The government ofJames Cleverly, the UK’s Minister for the Middle East and North Africa echoed the sentiment in a separate statement, adding that “settlements are illegal under international law and present an obstacle to peace and stability.”The Israeli announcement had already drawn the ire of the US State Department, with spokesman Ned Price criticizing the move on Tuesday as “completely inconsistent with efforts to lower tensions and to ensure calm.”The Biden administration “strongly oppose[s] the expansion of settlements,” Price said.The move is likely to put a fresh wrinkle in relations between the Biden administration and the Bennett government, though Israel hopes to soothe tensions soon with an expected decision to green-light more than one thousand new homes for Palestinians in the West Bank.The timing of the announcement is also being criticized at home by left and center-left parties in Israel’s governing coalition, another sign of strains in Bennett’s government.According to Israeli settlement monitoring group Peace Now, there are more than 270 settlements in the West Bank and at least 450,000 Israelis living there.
