On Aug. 20, leaders of France, Germany, Italy, Norway, the Netherlands and the
UK issued a joint statement calling Israel’s decision to issue construction
tenders in the E1 area of the West Bank unacceptable and urging immediate
withdrawal and a halt to settlement expansion. They said the E1 project would
further fragment the West Bank, undermine the viability of a two-state solution,
and reiterated that West Bank settlements violate international law. The
statement urged companies not to participate in related bids and warned firms to
consider legal and reputational risks, including potential complicity in serious
violations of international law. The six governments said they will continue to
pursue a comprehensive, just and lasting peace based on a two-state solution.
