Israel has rejected criticism from 14 countries over its decision to approve 19 new settlements in the occupied West Bank, dismissing calls to reverse the move and defending it on security and legal grounds.
Israel on Thursday strongly rejected a joint appeal by 14 countries calling on it to reverse its decision to approve 19 new settlements in the occupied West Bank, accusing foreign governments of interference and discrimination.
Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar dismissed the statement issued by countries including the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Canada and Japan, after Israel’s security cabinet cleared the settlement proposals. In a sharply worded post on X, Sa’ar said, “Foreign governments will not restrict the right of Jews to live in the Land of Israel.”
Sa’ar said the cabinet had approved the establishment of 11 new settlements in Judea and Samaria and planned to formally recognise eight additional ones. He added that the decision was driven partly by security considerations.
“Israel strongly rejects the statement issued by foreign countries regarding the Cabinet decision on settlements in Judea and Samaria,” Sa’ar said, calling demands to reverse the move “morally wrong and discriminatory against Jews.” He stressed that all the approved settlements are located in Area C and on land that Israel considers state land.
“The Cabinet decision to establish 11 new settlements and to formalise eight additional settlements is intended, among other things, to help address the security threats Israel is facing,” he said.
The joint statement by the 14 countries described the decision as an “intensification of settlement policy,” arguing that it violates international law and risks further destabilising the region at a sensitive time, particularly amid efforts towards Gaza-related plans and regional de-escalation.
“We, the States of Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Iceland, Ireland, Japan, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, and the United Kingdom condemn the approval by the Israeli security cabinet of 19 new settlements in the occupied West Bank,” the statement said, as shared by UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper.
Sa’ar rejected these claims, citing historical and legal arguments. He said Israel acts in accordance with international law and referred to the 1917 Balfour Declaration, its incorporation into the Mandate following the San Remo Conference in 1920, and Article 80 of the UN Charter, which he said preserved Jewish rights over the territory of Mandatory Palestine.
He also criticised what he described as the “blatant silence” of foreign states over what he called illegal construction by the Palestinian Authority in Area C.
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