Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
EU Condemns New Burst of Israeli Settlement Approvals
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 6 years ago on
November 5, 2019

Share

JERUSALEM — The European Union on Monday criticized Israel’s approval of plans to build over 2,000 new homes in West Bank settlements.

In a statement, the EU reiterated its longstanding position that all settlement activity on occupied land is illegal. “It erodes the viability of the two-state solution and the prospects for a lasting peace,” the statement said.

The Israeli anti-settlement watchdog group Peace Now said Israeli authorities approved various planning stages for the construction of 2,342 new housing units in the occupied West Bank last month.

The Israeli anti-settlement watchdog group Peace Now said Israeli authorities approved various planning stages for the construction of 2,342 new housing units in the occupied West Bank last month.

Settlement projects must receive several layers of approvals from Israeli authorities, from initial proposals through actual construction. The process typically takes several years before building begins.

According to Peace Now, Israel has already pushed forward plans at various stages for over 8,300 settlement homes this year — an increase of 50% over all of 2018.

The data is the latest indication that the Trump administration’s lax attitude toward the settlements has encouraged Israel to increase construction.

The Palestinians seek to include the occupied West Bank and east Jerusalem, territories captured by Israel in 1967, as parts of a future independent state.

The White House Has Said Little in the Face of Israel’s Repeated Settlement Approvals

The international community overwhelmingly considers Israeli settlement construction in these areas to be illegal and obstacles to peace. Nearly 700,000 Israelis now live on lands sought by the Palestinians for their state.

After taking office, President Donald Trump broke away from a string of Republican and Democratic presidents who had voiced opposition to settlement construction, although rarely took action against them.

Instead, Trump has urged Israel to show restraint while surrounding himself with a core of Mideast advisers that have deep connections to the settlement movement. Those include his son-in-law Jared Kushner and his ambassador to Israel, David Friedman.

The White House has said little in the face of Israel’s repeated settlement approvals in recent years, and it has refrained from endorsing a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians.

That has left the EU, which otherwise has good relations with Israel, as the most prominent international critic of the settlements.

Israel says the final status of the settlements should be worked out in negotiations.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry declined comment, and COGAT, the defense body that authorizes settlement construction, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

US Senate Republicans Seek to Limit Judges’ Power via Trump’s Tax-Cut Bill

DON'T MISS

Missiles Fired at Israel in Response to Israeli Attacks

DON'T MISS

Fresno to Join International Protests for ‘No Kings Day’ Saturday. Here Is What to Know

DON'T MISS

US Gave Regional Allies Heads up on Israel’s Planned Attack on Iran

DON'T MISS

4 Detainees Have Escaped From an Immigration Detention Center in Newark, New Jersey, DHS Says

DON'T MISS

Wall Street Falls as Israel’s Attack on Iran Erodes Risk Appetite

DON'T MISS

California’s Battle Against Homelessness Needs a ‘Combined Arms’ Approach

DON'T MISS

Here’s What to Expect at the Army’s 250th Anniversary Parade on Trump’s Birthday

DON'T MISS

Ex-NFL Star Wide Receiver Antonio Brown Facing Attempted Murder Charges in Miami Shooting

DON'T MISS

Fresno State Matches the Scholarships for 25 FUSD Students

UP NEXT

US Gave Regional Allies Heads up on Israel’s Planned Attack on Iran

UP NEXT

Here’s What to Expect at the Army’s 250th Anniversary Parade on Trump’s Birthday

UP NEXT

Trump Tells Reuters It’s Unclear if Iran Still Has a Nuclear Program

UP NEXT

Israel’s Netanyahu Says Washington Knew About Iran Attack Plans

UP NEXT

Russia Says Israeli Attack on Iran Was Unprovoked and Illegal

UP NEXT

Middle East Airspace Shut After Israel Strikes Iran, Airlines Cancel Flights

UP NEXT

Israel Could Strike Iran as Soon as Sunday, WSJ Reports

UP NEXT

US House Passes Trump Cuts of $9.4 Billion for Foreign Aid, Broadcasting

UP NEXT

Tulare County Inmate Found Unresponsive in Cell, Autopsy Pending

UP NEXT

Humanitarian Workers Killed in Gaza Ambush Blamed on Hamas, Internet Cut in Territory

US Gave Regional Allies Heads up on Israel’s Planned Attack on Iran

24 minutes ago

4 Detainees Have Escaped From an Immigration Detention Center in Newark, New Jersey, DHS Says

28 minutes ago

Wall Street Falls as Israel’s Attack on Iran Erodes Risk Appetite

28 minutes ago

California’s Battle Against Homelessness Needs a ‘Combined Arms’ Approach

1 hour ago

Here’s What to Expect at the Army’s 250th Anniversary Parade on Trump’s Birthday

1 hour ago

Ex-NFL Star Wide Receiver Antonio Brown Facing Attempted Murder Charges in Miami Shooting

2 hours ago

Fresno State Matches the Scholarships for 25 FUSD Students

2 hours ago

Trump Says Not Too Late for Iran to Halt Israeli Attacks

2 hours ago

Clovis Man Sentenced to Probation, Ordered to Pay $656K in Crop Insurance Fraud Case

2 hours ago

California Opens Investigation Into State Farm

2 hours ago

US Senate Republicans Seek to Limit Judges’ Power via Trump’s Tax-Cut Bill

U.S. Senate Republicans have added language to President Donald Trump’s massive tax and spending bill that would restrict the ability ...

4 minutes ago

The U.S. Capitol building is pictured at sunset on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., November 27, 2019. (Reuters File)
4 minutes ago

US Senate Republicans Seek to Limit Judges’ Power via Trump’s Tax-Cut Bill

A building stands damaged in the aftermath of Israeli strikes, in Tehran, Iran, June 13, 2025. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS
15 minutes ago

Missiles Fired at Israel in Response to Israeli Attacks

17 minutes ago

Fresno to Join International Protests for ‘No Kings Day’ Saturday. Here Is What to Know

Rescuers work at the site of a damaged building, in the aftermath of Israeli strikes, in Tehran, Iran, June 13, 2025. Iranian Red Crescent Society/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via REUTERS
24 minutes ago

US Gave Regional Allies Heads up on Israel’s Planned Attack on Iran

28 minutes ago

4 Detainees Have Escaped From an Immigration Detention Center in Newark, New Jersey, DHS Says

A Trader works on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., June 11, 2025. (Reuters File)
28 minutes ago

Wall Street Falls as Israel’s Attack on Iran Erodes Risk Appetite

1 hour ago

California’s Battle Against Homelessness Needs a ‘Combined Arms’ Approach

1 hour ago

Here’s What to Expect at the Army’s 250th Anniversary Parade on Trump’s Birthday

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend