The Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Federica Mogherini, views as counterproductive the decision by the Israeli Civil Administration in the Occupied Territories to take possession of the land belonging to 5 Palestinian villages. Israel’s probable intention is to build a new settlement on the land in the Bethlehem area.
As the Minister pointed out, the settlements “are not just illegal on the basis of international law, they are also an obstacle to peace and the outlook for a two-state solution. Italy, with its EU partners, has also called on both sides to refrain from counterproductive unilateral initiatives that can undermine the prospects for dialogue, like the one announced today. In the current circumstances, after the bloody conflict in Gaza, every effort must be made to relaunch the peace process and arrive at a true solution to the conflict. Every initiative must therefore be consistent with the Israeli Government’s intention to strengthen dialogue with President Mahmoud Abbas and the Palestinian National Authority and follow the difficult but necessary path of the negotiation.
