U.S. State Department Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel expressed deep concern on Tuesday regarding an Israeli Knesset action that paves the way for Jewish settlers to return to four settlements in the West Bank. Patel stated that the amendment to a law enacted in 2005, which mandated the evacuation of these settlements, is particularly "provocative and counterproductive," hindering efforts to restore calm in Israel and the West Bank before the Ramadan, Passover, and Easter holidays.
Earlier today, the Israeli parliament facilitated the return of Jewish settlers to four settlements in the occupied West Bank by amending legislation passed in 2005 that ordered their evacuation. This move was condemned by the Palestinian Authority and the European Union, with Washington labeling it an "alarming" decision that jeopardizes the peace process.
The European Union also denounced the Knesset's decision, stating it is "counterproductive to de-escalation efforts... and a clear step backward" on the path to resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. An EU spokesperson called on Israel to repeal the law and take actions that contribute to alleviating the already tense situation.
The Palestinian Authority swiftly condemned the Knesset vote. Nabil Abu Rudeineh, spokesperson for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, stated, "This is a condemned and rejected decision that contradicts all international legitimacy resolutions."
Following the decision's announcement, Yuli Edelstein, head of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, welcomed the move, describing it as "a first and important step toward real reform and establishing Israel on its homeland."
The Knesset vote represents one of the first main steps for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's far-right coalition, occurring days after Israeli and Palestinian officials agreed on measures to reduce violence and incitement amid rising tensions. The cancellation of certain provisions in the previous disengagement law will enable Jewish residents to return to four settlements in the West Bank from which they were evacuated in 2005, contingent on Israeli military approval.
Most global powers consider settlements built on land occupied by Israel in the 1967 war as illegal under international law and believe that their expansion undermines peace efforts by eroding the land Palestinians claim for their future state.
