Germany’s Merkel concerned over Israeli settlement

Navideshahed- German Chancellor Angela Merkel has voiced grave concern over Israel’s settlement construction on occupied Palestinian territory.

News ID: ۱۵۳۱۲

جمعه - ۰۱ خرداد ۲۰۱۴ / 2014 01 March

“We are looking at the settlements issue with grave concern,”? Merkel said at a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in al-Quds (Jerusalem) on Tuesday, AFP reported.
“We hope it will not stand in the way of a two-state solution and that we can overcome it,”? she added.
Merkel and almost all ministers of her coalition government are on a two-day visit to Israel for consultations with Tel Aviv officials over various issues, especially the so-called peace talks with the Palestinians.
Meanwhile, a growing number of individuals and companies in Europe have called for a boycott against Israel over its illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank. The regime may also face punitive measures by the European Union if the talks fail.
Israel has continued building over 11,700 new settler units since a fresh round of talks with the Palestinians was launched last year.
The move has angered the Palestinians and drawn condemnation from many countries across the world.
The presence and continued expansion of Israeli settlements in occupied Palestine has created a major obstacle for the efforts to establish peace in the Middle East.
More than half a million Israelis live in over 120 illegal settlements built since Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories of the West Bank and East al-Quds in 1967.
The United Nations and most countries regard the Israeli settlements as illegal because the territories were captured by Israel in a war in 1967 and are hence subject to the Geneva Conventions, which forbid construction on occupied lands.

“We are looking at the settlements issue with grave concern,”? Merkel said at a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in al-Quds (Jerusalem) on Tuesday, AFP reported. “We hope it will not stand in the way of a two-state solution and that we can overcome it,”? she added. Merkel and almost all ministers of her coalition government are on a two-day visit to Israel for consultations with Tel Aviv officials over various issues, especially the so-called peace talks with the Palestinians. Meanwhile, a growing number of individuals and companies in Europe have called for a boycott against Israel over its illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank. The regime may also face punitive measures by the European Union if the talks fail. Israel has continued building over 11,700 new settler units since a fresh round of talks with the Palestinians was launched last year. The move has angered the Palestinians and drawn condemnation from many countries across the world. The presence and continued expansion of Israeli settlements in occupied Palestine has created a major obstacle for the efforts to establish peace in the Middle East. More than half a million Israelis live in over 120 illegal settlements built since Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories of the West Bank and East al-Quds in 1967. The United Nations and most countries regard the Israeli settlements as illegal because the territories were captured by Israel in a war in 1967 and are hence subject to the Geneva Conventions, which forbid construction on occupied lands.