Settlement building in the West Bank

A Federal Foreign Office Spokesperson issued the following statement today (4 November) on the granting of building permits for 181 new housing units in Gilo settlement in East Jerusalem and on the current discussion on clearing Amona, the largest Israeli outpost:

Zusatzinformationen

We are very concerned about the granting of building permits for 181 new housing units in the Israeli settlement of Gilo in East Jerusalem.

We are also following with grave concern the current discussions in Israel on the arrangements for the clearance of the illegal outpost Amona in the West Bank, as ruled by the Supreme Court.

The Federal Government has repeatedly made its standpoint clear: settlement activities in the occupied territories violate international law. Settlements are an additional obstacle to the possibility of a peace process and jeopardise the basis of the two‑state solution.

This was also underlined in the report by the Middle East Quartet, whose recommendations we take very seriously. We expect the parties to refrain from taking measures that undermine the two‑state solution.

from
http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/EN/Infoservice/Presse/Meldungen/2016/161104-Siedlungsbau_Westjordanland.html?nn=479796