Israel’s foreign ministry has responded to a statement by 24 foreign ministers criticising the approval of a settler construction plan near Jerusalem.
This week, foreign ministers – including Britain’s David Lammy and his counterparts from France, Italy, Spain, Japan and more – said the E1 plan was “unacceptable and a violation of international law”.
Israel’s foreign ministry said it “rejects the attempt to impose foreign dictates upon it”.
It highlighted what it said was the “historic right of Jews to live anywhere in the land of Israel”.
It added: “Israel acts in accordance with International law.”
“There is no restriction for Arabs to reside in any part of the State of Israel, and a call to deny Jews – and Jews alone – the right to reside in certain areas of the State of Israel has a name: racism.”
Bezalel Smotrich, an ultranationalist in the ruling right-wing coalition, had said the government was delivering with the settlement what it had promised for years: “The Palestinian state is being erased from the table, not with slogans but with actions.”
He said last week that the settlement would “finally bury the idea of a Palestinian state, because there is nothing to recognise and no one to recognise”.
For context: The settlement is set to be built in E1, an open tract of land east of Jerusalem, and includes around 3,500 apartments to expand the existing settlement of Maale Adumim.
E1 has been eyed for Israeli development for more than two decades, but plans were halted due to pressure from the US during previous administrations.
Today, an estimated 700,000 Israeli settlers live in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
There is also a growing movement of Israelis wanting to build settlements in Gaza.
Settlements are illegal under international law and have been condemned by the UN.
They are, however, authorised by the Israeli government.
