Canada’s foreign minister has joined officials from several other countries in demanding an “immediate reversal in the strongest terms” to Israel’s plan to settle an area in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, also known as “E1.”
“The decision by the Israeli Higher Planning Committee to approve plans for settlement construction in the E1 area, East of Jerusalem, is unacceptable and a violation of international law,” reads a statement from Canada and the foreign ministries of several other countries.
Construction on E1, which is east of Jerusalem, has been under consideration for more than two decades. It is one of the last geographic links between the major West Bank cities of Ramallah and Bethlehem.
Israel’s finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, said last week that development of the area could thwart Palestinian statehood plans, The Associated Press reported.
The multi-national statement signed by Canada says that according to Smotrich, the Israeli plan would make a two-state solution “impossible by dividing any Palestinian state and restricting Palestinian access to Jerusalem.”
“This brings no benefits to the Israeli people,” continues the statement. “Instead, it risks undermining security and fuels further violence and instability, taking us further away from peace.”
Canada has vowed to recognize a Palestinian state by September. Prime Minister Mark Carney made the announcement in July, alongside Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand.
That recognition comes with a series of requirements for the Palestinian Authority, Carney said, including governance reforms, holding general elections in 2026 “in which Hamas can play no part,” and a commitment to demilitarization.
Israel’s foreign ministry rejected Carney’s announcement, calling it a “reward for Hamas.”
With files from The Associated Press and CTV News journalist Spencer Van Dyk
