Brussels: Europe and the Arabs
The European Union on Sunday strongly condemned the announcement by Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich that more than 800 hectares of land in the occupied Palestinian territories were declared “state land.” This is the largest confiscation since the Oslo Accords, according to a statement issued by the spokesman for the European Foreign and Security Policy Office in Brussels.
The spokesman added through the statement that the settlements constitute a serious violation of international humanitarian law. At the European Council held this week, EU leaders condemned the Israeli government's decisions to continue expanding illegal settlements throughout the occupied West Bank, and urged Israel to reverse these decisions.
In line with its long-standing common position and UN Security Council resolutions, the European Union will not recognize changes to the 1967 borders unless both parties agree.
This position goes hand in hand with the European Union's commitment to Israel's security and ensuring that the horrific attacks against Israeli civilians on October 7 are not repeated.
The European Union is determined to combat this terrorism in word and deed, by consistently condemning Hamas in the strongest possible terms and through sanctions and other measures.
Settlement expansion contradicts this goal. It fuels tensions and undermines the prospects for a two-state solution, which remains the only sustainable guarantee of long-term security for both Israelis and Palestinians.