Borrell: The West Bank is Experiencing Tumult and We May Be on the Brink of a Larger Explosion

The European Union's foreign policy chief, Joseph Borrell, stated that "the West Bank is experiencing a state of tumult and we may be on the brink of a larger explosion." He emphasized in a speech at the Munich Security Conference that "the situation in the West Bank, which is occupied by Israel, presents a significant barrier to achieving a sustainable solution that establishes peace between Israel and the Palestinians." Borrell asserted that the European Union must "support the Arab initiative," which calls for the establishment of a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. These remarks from the EU foreign policy chief come following Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's rejection of a plan for international recognition of a Palestinian state after reports about such an initiative were published by The Washington Post, which included, according to the newspaper, a specific timeline for establishing a Palestinian state. The number of settlers in the West Bank is approximately 750,000, residing in more than 365 settlements and colonial outposts.