Press release

Minister for the Middle East concerned by settlement plan in East Jerusalem

Minister for the Middle East Tobias Ellwood concerned by plan for 500 new units in Ramat Shlomo.

• From: Foreign & Commonwealth Office and The Rt Hon Tobias Ellwood
• Published: 28 November 2016

This was published under the 2016 to 2019 May Conservative government

Foreign Office minister, Tobias Ellwood, said:

We are deeply concerned by reports that the Jerusalem Municipality has revived a plan for constructing 500 new units in the illegal settlement of Ramat Shlomo in East Jerusalem. The planned expansion of Ramat Shlomo includes construction on privately owned Palestinian land and further cuts off East Jerusalem from the rest of the West Bank.

It is disappointing that Israel has proceeded with this plan despite serious international criticism when these plans were announced in 2014. Israel’s policy of continuing to expand settlements is illegal under international law and systematically undermines the prospects for a two-state solution.

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Published 28 November 2016