Western leaders from Canada, Australia, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway and Britain issued a joint statement opposing Israel's policy in Judea and Samaria and expressing support for a two-state solution.
The statement said that the situation in the area had deteriorated recently against the backdrop of "settler violence" and Israeli policy, which, they said, undermines stability and the prospects for a political settlement.
The statement said, "International law is clear that Israeli settlements in the West Bank are unlawful." It also stressed that, "building projects in the E1 area will not be an exception," and argued that construction there would split Judea and Samaria in two and constitute "a serious violation of international law."
Recently, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced his intention to sign an order to demolish the Bedouin outpost east of Jerusalem as part of the E1 plan. The announcement came, it was claimed, in response to the International Court's intention to issue an arrest warrant against him.
The wording of the statement also included a warning to Israel, saying its leaders should be "aware of the legal and political consequences of participating in settlement construction, including the risk of becoming involved in serious violations of international law." The leaders called on Israel to "halt settlement expansion and to investigate allegations of settler violence and human rights violations by security forces."
The countries also demanded respect for the Hashemite custodianship of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and for the historic status-quo arrangements, and called for the lifting of financial restrictions on the Palestinian Authority and the Palestinian economy. The statement added, "We strongly oppose those, including members of the Israeli government, who advocate annexation and the forcible transfer of the Palestinian population."