Albanese joins coalition of nations calling for an end to Israeli settlement expansion in the West Bank | Australian politics

A coalition of Western countries is calling for an end to the construction of Israeli settlements that its leaders say violate international law, saying the Israeli government is undermining stability in the West Bank as settler violence reaches unprecedented levels.

One joint statement Anthony Albanese and the leaders of England, Italy, France, Germany, Canada, Norway, the Netherlands and New Zealand said in a statement released on Friday:

“Over the past few months, the situation in the West Bank has deteriorated significantly. Settler violence is at unprecedented levels.

“The Israeli government’s policies and practices, including the further consolidation of Israeli control, undermine stability and hopes for a two-state solution.

“International law is clear: Israeli settlements in the West Bank are illegal.”

The statement highlighted the E1 Israeli settlement project, which will connect the occupied lands in East Jerusalem with another Israeli settlement in the West Bank. According to the report published by the Israel Land Authority in January and first reported by the Guardian, the project will include 3,401 residences.

Israel’s far-right finance minister Bezalel Smotrich, himself a settler, said when the project was approved in August last year that it would “bury” the idea of ​​a sovereign Palestine.

He said at the time: “Those who are trying to recognize a Palestinian state in the world will receive a response from us on the ground.”

“Not with documents, decisions, or statements, but with facts. The facts of the homes, the neighborhoods, the roads, and the Jewish families who built their lives.”

Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir approved last June It was sued by the governments of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Norway and the United Kingdom for inciting extreme violence and serious violations of Palestinian human rights.

In the statement, international leaders, including the leaders of the countries known as the E4, said:

“The development of the E1 settlement would divide the West Bank in two and would constitute a serious violation of international law.

“Businesses should not bid on construction tenders for E1 or other settlement development projects. They should be aware of the legal and reputational consequences of participating in settlement construction, including the risk of being involved in serious breaches of international law.”

“We call on the Government of Israel to end the expansion of settlements and administrative powers, ensure accountability for settler violence and investigate allegations against Israeli forces, respect Hashemite tutelage over the Holy Sites of Jerusalem and historical status quo arrangements, and lift financial restrictions on the Palestinian Authority and the Palestinian economy.”

The leaders also spoke out against those who support such settlements, but did not name any of the Israeli government.

“We strongly oppose those who advocate the annexation and forced displacement of the Palestinian people, including members of the Israeli government,” the leaders said.

“We reaffirm our unwavering commitment to a comprehensive, just and lasting peace based on a negotiated two-state solution in accordance with relevant UN Security Council resolutions, in which two democratic states, Israel and Palestine, live side by side in peace and security within secure and recognized borders.”

Energy minister Chris Bowen told reporters on Saturday that the statement did not represent a new stance by the Albanian government.

“Look, we’ve been very clear about settlements in the West Bank,” he said.

“This is not a new position for Australia. We have joined other countries, of course this is new, but this is a consistent position from the government.”

The Israeli government did not immediately comment on the statement.

one in march Coalition of Australian non-governmental organizations He called on the Albanian government to block the E1 agreement.

Andrew Witheford, Amnesty International Australia’s international and crisis campaigner, said at the time: “We welcome the government’s condemnation of Israel’s moves last year, along with 20 other countries, to illegally annex the Occupied Palestinian Territories in the West Bank.”

“It is time to take decisive action before annexation becomes a brutal reality.”

–via Reuters