Former diplomats urge UK, France to act on Palestinian state

More than 100 former British and French diplomats have issued an unprecedented joint letter urging their governments to take concrete action, including trade and arms sales bans, to uphold international law in the Palestinian territories and preserve the two-state solution. The letter, published in Le Monde and given to the Guardian, accuses Israel of seeking to "destroy" any prospect of a viable Palestinian state and of "ethnic cleansing" in the West Bank and East Jerusalem Source: CNA, The Guardian.

The letter

The signatories, including former UK ambassadors to the UN Jeremy Greenstock and Emyr Jones Parry, and former French Middle East directors, argue that France and the UK have a responsibility to act given their historic roles and their 2025 recognition of a Palestinian state. They warn that "the world no longer sees Israel as a genuine democracy" Source: The Guardian. The letter is addressed to French President Emmanuel Macron and UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham.

The E1 settlement

The diplomats' call comes amid international condemnation of Israel's opening of tenders for 1,200 housing units in the E1 settlement project, which would connect East Jerusalem to Maale Adumim and bisect the West Bank Source: BBC, Al Jazeera. The UK, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Canada and Norway issued a joint statement calling the plans "unacceptable" and warning of "legal and reputational consequences" for participants Source: Al Jazeera. UN Secretary-General António Guterres called the project an "existential threat" to a future Palestinian state Source: BBC.

Reactions

Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar vowed Israel would not remain passive, asserting that "the Jewish people have a right to live throughout Israel" Source: The Guardian. Meanwhile, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas welcomed the international statements and called for "concrete measures" to halt the E1 plan Source: BBC. Analysts link the settlement push to Israel's upcoming elections in October Source: Al Jazeera.