Former European officials urge EU action against E1 settlement plan

Approximately 500 former European leaders, diplomats, and senior officials have signed a joint appeal published in the French newspaper Libération, calling on the European Union to take immediate action against Israel's E1 settlement project in the occupied West Bank. Among the notable signatories are former French prime ministers Dominique de Villepin and Alain Juppé, former Italian prime minister Massimo D’Alema, former Belgian prime minister Yves Leterme, and former Swedish prime minister Stefan Löfven.

The signatories warn that the Israeli government is expected to award the first construction contracts for the E1 project within the coming weeks. The plan, which had been frozen for decades before being approved by the Israeli government last year, involves the construction of more than 1,200 housing units near Jerusalem. The diplomats argue that this development would effectively split the West Bank into two, severely undermining the viability of a future two-state solution.

The group is urging the European Commission to propose immediate sanctions against financial institutions and service providers involved in the E1 project. Furthermore, they are demanding legislative measures to restrict trade between the European Union and Israeli settlements, while also revisiting the potential suspension of trade agreements with Israel.