EU and Muslim nations condemn Israel’s West Bank expansion plan

By Ahmet Taş | Wise News Press

ANKARA, TURKEY — The European Union (EU) and numerous Muslim-majority countries, including Turkey, have issued strong condemnations following Israel's decision to expand its control and increase Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank. The international community warned that these steps, approved by the Israeli Security Cabinet, risk eliminating hopes for peace and the possibility of a two-state solution in the region.

The Israeli Security Cabinet's approval on Sunday of a series of regulations aimed at accelerating Jewish settlements in the West Bank has stirred diplomatic channels. A spokesperson for EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas described the decisions as "another step in the wrong direction," stating, "The European Union condemns the recent decisions of the Israeli Security Cabinet to expand control in the West Bank."

Muslim-majority countries, including Turkey and Saudi Arabia, released a joint statement emphasizing that such decisions would make the "two-state solution," which envisions an independent Palestinian state existing side-by-side with Israel, impossible.

Content of the controversial decisions

According to reports in the Israeli press, the approved regulations contain provisions that could fundamentally alter the status quo in the West Bank. These decisions include removing previous legal barriers that made it difficult for settlers to purchase land and opening land registry records in the West Bank to the public for the first time. Experts indicate that opening land registries will facilitate direct contact between buyers and landowners, thereby accelerating settler expansion.

Another notable change concerns the city of Hebron. Under the new regulation, approval for settlement projects in Hebron will now be granted solely by Israeli authorities. Previously, approval was also required from the Hebron Municipality, which is under the Palestinian Authority.

Timing before critical Washington visit

The timing of these decisions is viewed as a strategic move, coinciding with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's scheduled meeting with US President Donald Trump on Wednesday. The US administration remains distant from calls by far-right figures in the Netanyahu government for the full annexation of the West Bank.

Israeli media reported that it remains unclear whether Washington was informed of these decisions in advance. Israel has systematically expanded settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since occupying them in 1967. Today, more than 700,000 Israeli settlers live in the region alongside approximately 3 million Palestinians.

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