European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Saturday night that continued Israeli settlement expansion in the West Bank is 'unacceptable' and that the violence used to advance it is 'abhorrent.' According to journalist Asaf Rozentzweig (N12), she warned the situation is 'clearly deteriorating' and that such actions undermine the two-state solution, which she called the only viable path to sustainable peace.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen issued a sharp condemnation of Israeli settlement policy in the West Bank late Saturday, according to a report by journalist Asaf Rozentzweig on N12.
Von der Leyen said continued settlement expansion is 'unacceptable' and that the violence used to promote it is 'abhorrent,' warning that the situation is 'clearly deteriorating.' She argued that such steps undermine the viability of a two-state solution, which she described as the only feasible path to sustainable peace.
As The Zioneer previously reported (Saturday, 00:04 Jerusalem), this latest statement continues von der Leyen's recent pattern of criticism regarding Israeli policy in the West Bank. Earlier this week, she linked Middle East peace to the situation in Lebanon, stating that there can be no peace 'while Lebanon is in flames.' The EU has consistently opposed settlement expansion and has imposed sanctions on some Israeli individuals and entities involved in settler violence.
The remarks come amid ongoing diplomatic friction between Israel and European powers over settlement activity, particularly in Judea and Samaria.
3 developments
- DevelopingEU chief von der Leyen welcomes Israel-Lebanon agreement, links peace to Lebanon stability
- DevelopingMacron: Settlement expansion in the West Bank must stop
- ConfirmedFrench official: settler violence in West Bank has crossed a line
- DevelopingVon der Leyen declares Europe facing a housing crisis
Source and signal
- Internal intake