Japan on Thursday condemned Israel’s plan to build thousands of new settlement units in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, the official Palestinian news agency WAFA reported.
The Japanese government decried Israel’s recent decision to publish tenders for the construction of some 1,300 settlement units in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, in addition to their approved plan for the construction of some 3,000 units in the illegal settlements across the West Bank. according to WAFA.
In First in #Biden Era, #Israel Invites Bids for Building 1,355 New #Settlement Units https://t.co/7SZWJtGbga via @PalestineChron pic.twitter.com/8mlfhSirxD
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) October 26, 2021
“The Government of Japan deeply deplores the continued settlement activities by the Government of Israel despite repeated calls for freezing such activities from Japan and the international community,” Japan’s Foreign Affairs Ministry said in a statement, while reiterating that “the settlement activities are in violation of international law and undermine the viability of a “two-state solution”.”
The statement urged Israel to rescind the settlement construction tenders, adding:
“Underscoring the necessity of confidence-building between Israel and Palestine and the efforts toward easing tensions and stabilizing the region, Japan strongly urges the Government of Israel to rescind the above-mentioned tenders and approval of the construction plans, and to totally freeze its settlement activities.”
(WAFA, PC, Social Media)
