Following the announcement made by the Prime Minister of Israel, Benyamin Netanyahu, on 25 February 2020 that his government intends to proceed with the construction of 3500 settlements in the strategic E1 zone, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Jean Asselborn, wishes to make the following statement:
"This announcement is unacceptable. The construction of these settlements in the E1 zone would cut Jerusalem from the West Bank and constitute a barrier to the formation of a future sovereign, contiguous and viable Palestinian State within the borders of 4 June 1967. I call on the Israeli government to abandon the plans for the construction of these settlements, which are illegal under international law, as reaffirmed by the UN Security Council in its resolution 2334 (2016). Even during an electoral campaign, one must realize that such announcements are hurtful to the Palestinian people and undermine the perspective of a durable peace between Israelis and Palestinians."
Presse release by the Ministry for Foreign and European Affairs