press release
Federal Foreign Office concerned about plans
to construct more settlements in East Jerusalem
date of issue
02.10.2014
Following the Israeli Government’s publication of Plan 14295 on tenders for the construction of 2610 new settlement units in Givat Hamatos A, a Federal Foreign Office spokesperson issued the following statement in Berlin today (2 October):
“The German Government is deeply concerned about the Israeli Government’s decisions on extending the Givat Hamatos settlement. We call upon the Israeli Government to retract these decisions and refrain from calling for tenders or issuing construction permits in the area.
The German Government’s standpoint on Israel’s settlement policy is clear: the building of settlements hampers the peace process and the two-state solution to which Israel has committed itself.
Particularly unsettling is the fact that the new units would be in the politically highly sensitive East Jerusalem, separating it yet further from the West Bank. This undermines the viability of a future Palestinian state and would run counter to Israel’s commitment to a negotiated two-state solution.
That is why we and the whole international community have repeatedly warned against new settlements in Givat Hamatos.”
Country: Germany
Subject: International presence, Jerusalem, Legal issues, Occupation, Peace process, Settlements, Statehood-related
Publication Date: 02/10/2014