🔻The U.S. government opposes annexation of the West Bank, but did not condemn the major settlement plan

🔻The U.S. government opposes annexation of the West Bank, but did not condemn the major settlement plan

The Trump administration has once again emphasized its opposition to the annexation of the West Bank to Israel, but has refrained from directly condemning Israel’s plans to build a large new settlement in the area known as E-1, in eastern Jerusalem.

The remarks were made by the U.S. State Department at a time when Israel has faced mounting international criticism for advancing the project’s plan earlier in the week.

Israel’s plans to issue a call for the construction of approximately 1,200 residential units for settlers in a strategically important area in the occupied West Bank have sparked a new wave of condemnation from major Western powers.

The project would effectively divide the West Bank into two parts and isolate eastern Jerusalem.

In a joint statement, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, and Canada called the decision “unacceptable” and asked Israel to “immediately cancel these plans.”

Israeli settlements are illegal under international law, and under international pressure, Israel had for decades avoided implementing construction plans in Area E-1, located in eastern Jerusalem.

Earlier, eight countries with a majority Muslim population had condemned Israel’s policies in the occupied West Bank in a joint statement.