UK Ministers Urged to Prevent Illegal Israeli Settlement Expansion

A group of former UK ambassadors and high commissioners has called on the UK government to threaten action against any companies bidding to build an illegal Israeli settlement that they say is designed to divide the West Bank in two and destroy Palestine's viability.

In a letter published in the Guardian, the 32 former diplomats said tenders for the planned E1 settlement, which would involve the construction of 3,400 houses on Palestinian soil as part of Israel's systemic West Bank annexation, were due to be issued on 1 June.

The former diplomats warned that the E1 settlement would effectively divide the West Bank in two, isolating East Jerusalem from the rest of the Palestinian territories and destroying the viability of a future Palestinian state. They said the UK government must lead international efforts to stop this illegal settlement and any other steps towards annexation.

In their letter, the former UK officials urged the government to threaten action, including potential sanctions, against any companies that bid to build or support the E1 settlement. They argued that allowing the settlement to proceed would undermine Britain's long-standing position on the illegality of Israeli settlements and its support for a two-state solution.

The planned E1 settlement has long been a source of international concern, with the United Nations and other global bodies repeatedly condemning it as a flagrant violation of international law. Critics say the settlement would effectively cut the West Bank in half, isolating East Jerusalem from the rest of the Palestinian territories and making the establishment of a viable Palestinian state virtually impossible.

The former UK diplomats warned that failure to act would seriously undermine Britain's credibility as a supporter of peace and the rules-based international order. They called on the UK government to show leadership and work with international partners to prevent this illegal settlement from going ahead.

The call from the former diplomats comes amid growing international concern over Israel's continued expansion of settlements in the occupied West Bank, which many view as a major obstacle to a peaceful two-state solution. The UK government has long condemned the settlements as illegal under international law, but critics say it has not done enough to pressure Israel to halt the construction.