Australia joins UK and Canada in calling for a stop to new settlements in the West Bank
Israeli soldiers and Palestinian protesters during the demonstration against settlements in the village of Beit Dajan near the West Bank city of Nablus on 30 June, 2023. Credit: SOPA Images/Sipa USA
The foreign ministers of Australia, Britain and Canada say expanding settlements in the West Bank is “an obstacle to peace”.
KEY POINTS
- The foreign ministers of the UK, Australia and Canada have issued a joint statement on West Bank settlements.
- The statement calls on the government of Israel “to reverse these decisions”.
- Anthony Albanese said Australia “understood the need for a peaceful resolution”.
Australia, Britain and Canada have called on Israel’s government to reverse a decision to approve new settlement units in the West Bank, saying they are “deeply concerned” by an ongoing cycle of violence.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Saturday said Australia, “understood the need for a peaceful resolution”.
“Together with other partners, including the UK and Canada, we understand that the need for a peaceful resolution in the Middle East between Israelis and Palestinians requires a settlement between the Israeli and Palestinian leadership,” he said.
Violence escalates in the West Bank
Violence has been surging in the West Bank, including deadly clashes in Jenin, a fatal shooting by Palestinians near a Jewish settlement, retaliating settlers ransacked nearby Palestinian villages and rare use of Israeli air power against militants.
The UN Security Council on Tuesday called for an end to the escalating violence in the West Bank.
“It’s very important that the world steps up. What we have seen now is close to three-quarters of a million Israelis who live in what was supposed to be Palestine, rendering the two-state solution dead,” Mr Mashni said.
Alex Ryvchin, co-CEO of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, said: “It is critical to understand that a Jewish civilian presence in the disputed territories has never been the cause of the conflict. It is a symptom of it.
“This conflict will endure until the Palestinians can come to terms with Israel’s legitimacy and permanence.
