European states call on Israel to halt settler project

A group of 12 European countries yesterday urged Israel to scrap plans for the construction of more than 3,000 settler homes in the occupied West Bank. A day after the US criticised the plan, France, Germany, Belgium, Denmark, Spain, Finland, Ireland, Italy, Norway, the Netherlands, Poland and Sweden said in a joint statement that Israel should cancel its decision to build the settlements. About 475,000 Israeli Jews already live in settlements in the West Bank, which are considered illegal under international law, on land Palestinians claim as part of their future state.