FCO Minister condemns Israeli settlement decision
Foreign Office Minister Alistair Burt condemns decision to grant final approval for housing units in the Israeli settlement of Har Homa.
Commenting on news that final approval had been granted for 69 housing units in the Israeli settlement of Har Homa, Minister for the Middle East, Mr Burt said:
We condemn the decision by the Jerusalem Municipality yesterday to grant final approval for 69 more housing units in the Israeli settlement of Har Homa. The UK’s position on settlements has long been clear: they are illegal under international law and an obstacle to peace.
As I set out during my visit to the region earlier this month, both parties need to show bold and decisive leadership to enable US efforts to succeed in bringing the two parties together to direct negotiations without preconditions. It is vital that the parties avoid any steps that undermine the chances of success. The consequences of the current efforts not succeeding – for both Israelis and Palestinians – would be very severe.
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