Netherlands joins 13 nations in condemning Israel’s approval of 19 West Bank settlements

The Netherlands has joined 13 other countries in condemning Israel’s approval of 19 new settlements in the occupied West Bank, warning that the decision violates international law and risks further destabilizing the region, including efforts to negotiate over the Gaza Strip.

In a joint statement, the Netherlands, along with Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Germany, France, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Japan, Malta, Norway, Spain, and the United Kingdom, urged Israel to reverse the decision approved by its government on Sunday.

The countries said the settlements are “not only in violation of international law but could also lead to further instability” and cautioned that the move could have negative consequences for talks related to Gaza.

Israel reacted angrily. Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said, “Foreign governments have no right to restrict the right of Jews to live in the land of Israel,” adding that “any call to do so is morally wrong and discriminatory toward Jews.”

The approval of the 19 settlements fits into a broader pattern of Israeli settlement expansion on the West Bank. Over the past three years, the Israeli government has approved a total of 50 settlements.

The decision was announced by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, an ultranationalist politician who lives in a West Bank settlement. Smotrich said the settlement policy is intended to prevent “the establishment of a Palestinian terrorist state.”

The area is home to about 3 million Palestinians and roughly 700,000 Israeli settlers. Under international law, the settlements are considered illegal. Israel captured the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, in 1967, along with the Gaza Strip, and has occupied the territory since.