BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 19. Germany has condemned an Israeli tender for more than 1,000 housing units linked to the E1 settlement project in the occupied West Bank, urging the Israeli government to halt the plan.
Speaking at a news conference in Berlin, German Federal Foreign Office deputy spokesperson Martin Giese said Berlin considers the settlement plans a violation of international law and a threat to prospects for a negotiated two-state solution.
Germany once again called on the Israeli government to stop plans for the E1 settlement and cease further settlement construction in the occupied West Bank.
Giese also reiterated Berlin’s opposition to any potential Israeli annexation plans. He said Germany would not recognise changes to the borders that existed before the 1967 war unless such changes were agreed by the parties to the conflict.
The E1 project has long drawn international criticism because of concerns over its potential impact on the territorial continuity of a future Palestinian state and the viability of a two-state solution.
