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BERLIN (Reuters) – Germany, France, Italy, Spain and Britain on Monday urged Israel not to shave the Bedouin village of Khan al-Ahmar in the occupied West Bank.
Palestinians say that the destruction of Khan al-Ahmar is part of an Israeli plan to create an arch of Jewish settlements that would effectively cut off East Jerusalem from the West Bank – areas that Israel captured during the summer. 39, a war in 1967 and that Palestinians seek state.
The Israeli Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected petitions against the demolition of Khan al-Ahmar and said that a temporary injunction that ended the move would be canceled within a week.
In a statement, the five powers of the European Union said: "We therefore join the High Representative / Vice-President (Federica) Mogherini (EU) to reiterate our call to the Israeli government not to pursue its plan to demolish the village. the school – and move its residents. "
They added that "the consequences of a demolition and displacement on the residents of this community, including their children, as well as on the prospects of the two-state solution would be very serious".
Palestinians want to establish a state in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, with East Jerusalem as its capital. Khan al-Ahmar is located outside Jerusalem between two Israeli settlements.
Khan al-Ahmar was built without Israeli permits, a factor highlighted in the court's decision. Palestinians say such documents are impossible to obtain.
Peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians, negotiated by the United States, have been stalled since 2014 and Israeli settlements in the occupied territories have gradually developed.
Most countries consider Israeli-built settlements on land taken during the 1967 Middle East war illegal and an obstacle to peace illegal. They say that they reduce and fragment the territory that Palestinians seek for a viable state.
Israel disputes this and cites biblical, historical and political links to the land, as well as security needs.
EU representation said in July that settlement expansion continued faster in the first six months of this year than between July and December 2017, with more than 6,000 housing units in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. and process of implementation.
US President Donald Trump has angered the Palestinians and sparked global concern by recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel despite its internationally challenged status and cutting US aid to the agency. United Nations which deals with Palestinian refugees.
(Report by Michelle Martin and Michael Nienaber, edited by Mark Heinrich)
