European Powers Demand Israel Halt Major West Bank Settlement

The United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, and Belgium have joined international condemnation of a major settlement project by Israel in the occupied West Bank. 

The E1 plan, which involves building around 3,400 homes in the area, would further separate east Jerusalem, occupied and annexed by Israel and mainly inhabited by Palestinians, from the West Bank. 

“We urge the Government of Israel to retract these plans immediately and end its expansion of settlements in the West Bank,” a statement from London, Paris, Berlin, and Rome said, which was also signed by Canada. The statement added that businesses who bid for the construction tenders could be “involving themselves in serious breaches of international law.”  

The UK government also promised a “comprehensive set of measures,” including sanctions aimed at the people involved in the “illegal settlement expansion.” Meanwhile, Britain’s Foreign Minister Ed Miliband delivered a statement to his Israeli counterpart, Gideon Saar, demanding an end to the project. Saar replied saying the UK government had decided “to damage the relationship” with Israel, which he called “deeply unfortunate.” Last year, Britain and France were among 21 countries who condemned Israeli approval for the E1 project. 

I reject outright the statement of the UK Foreign Secretary and the patronising tone of his words.

The Jewish people have the right to live throughout the Land of Israel, just as the British have the right to live in London and throughout the United Kingdom. More than a century… https://t.co/eCazg1CU7A

— Gideon Sa'ar | גדעון סער (@gidonsaar) August 20, 2026

Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot called the tenders “unacceptable,” saying the project “would seriously undermine the viability of the two-State solution.” 

The coordinated European opposition raises the stakes for Israel because the E1 project could shift the dispute from diplomatic condemnation toward concrete economic and political measures, particularly if Britain follows through with additional sanctions. The E1 construction could further fragment Palestinian territory between East Jerusalem and the West Bank, making a contiguous future Palestinian state increasingly difficult, and adding pressure on European governments that continue to support a two-state solution. It remains to be seen if Israel will proceed with the construction contracts after the October bidding deadline, which is only eight days before Israel’s general election. (EIR)