New Delhi: Israel is facing diplomatic pressure over its settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank, with Britain, France and other European countries warning that the latest E1 project could seriously damage prospects for a Palestinian state. The pressure has now intensified after more than 100 former British and French diplomats called for concrete economic and military measures against Israel, arguing that continued settlement activity and the destruction in Palestinian territories are threatening the future of a two-state solution.
The latest controversy centres on Israel’s plan to build more than 1,200 homes in the E1 area, east of Jerusalem. Britain, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway and Canada condemned the move on August 20 and urged Israel to withdraw the plans, warning that the project could divide the West Bank and undermine the territorial basis of a future Palestinian state.
The countries also warned businesses against participating in the project, saying involvement in the tenders could carry legal and reputational consequences.
As RNA Media reported earlier, the EU had recently urged Israel to stop expanding settlements in the occupied West Bank, days after Israel’s security cabinet approved 1.3 billion shekels for 34 new settlements, one of its largest such investments in years.
UK, EU reiterate settlements are illegal
The criticism goes beyond the E1 project itself. Britain and the European Union have repeatedly maintained that Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank are illegal under international law. In a joint statement issued earlier this year, European governments said international law was clear that Israeli settlements in the West Bank are illegal and specifically warned that construction in the E1 area would not be an exception.
The latest European condemnation therefore adds to an already growing dispute over Israel’s settlement policy, with governments warning that creating new settlements or expanding existing ones could make a negotiated two-state solution increasingly difficult.
In an open letter published on August 22 Saturday, more than 100 former diplomats urged London and Paris to move beyond diplomatic condemnation and impose measures that could put direct pressure on Israel. The signatories include former British ambassadors to the United Nations Jeremy Greenstock and Emyr Jones Parry, as well as former French diplomats who held senior positions in the Middle East.
The former officials said Britain and France have a particular responsibility because of their historical role in the Middle East and their recognition of Palestine as a state in 2025. They argued that recognizing Palestine must now be backed by practical measures to protect Palestinian self-determination and preserve the possibility of an independent Palestinian state.
The diplomats have called for coordinated action by Britain and France on several fronts. Proposals include suspending trade agreements with Israel, halting arms transfers and military cooperation, and restricting trade with Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories.
They have also called for restrictions on the purchase of property in occupied Palestinian land and stronger guarantees for humanitarian access to Gaza. The former officials said repeated statements of concern would not be enough and that governments needed to impose consequences for alleged violations of international law.
Gaza and West Bank add to pressure
The former ambassadors also expressed their worry about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and events in the West Bank. Despite the attacks carried out by Hamas on October 7, 2023, they have claimed that such attacks do not justify the amount of destruction faced by the Palestinian people.
They criticized Israel’s military operations in Gaza, Palestinian home demolitions and settler violence in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. The diplomats said these developments were further reducing the space for negotiations and threatening Palestinian hopes for an independent state.
They also argued that Israel’s policies risk damaging its international standing and making a political settlement harder to achieve.
The former diplomats’ demands come as Britain itself has adopted a stronger position on Israeli settlement activity. UK foreign secretary, Ed Miliband has described the E1 project as an unacceptable and destructive move, warning that it could separate parts of the West Bank and undermine the viability of a two-state solution. Britain has also summoned Israel’s chargé d’affaires over the settlement plans.
The British government has further warned companies about possible legal and reputational consequences linked to involvement in the E1 tenders. The former diplomats are effectively asking London to go a step further by turning its criticism into trade restrictions, arms measures and other penalties.
Why the E1 project is so significant
The E1 area is strategically important because of its location between Jerusalem and the central parts of the West Bank. European governments fear that large-scale settlement construction there could disrupt the territorial continuity of Palestinian areas and make it much harder to establish a geographically viable Palestinian state.
That concern has become the central point of the latest diplomatic pressure on Israel. The former British and French diplomats are now urging their governments to coordinate with other countries, support international legal action and use economic pressure to prevent further settlement expansion.
They have also called for reforms within the Palestinian leadership, saying any future Palestinian state must have democratic and accountable institutions.
The dispute over E1 has therefore moved beyond another diplomatic disagreement over Israeli settlements. With Britain, France and other European governments already warning that the project threatens the two-state solution, the former diplomats are demanding that London and Paris turn those warnings into concrete action against Israel.