German Foreign Minister Condemns Israeli Annexation of West Bank

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul has condemned Israeli efforts to annex Palestinian territory in the West Bank, describing such actions as unacceptable. Speaking at a joint press conference with Slovenian Foreign Minister Tone Kajzer in Berlin on Friday, Wadephul stated, “International law is absolute. Any unilateral de facto annexation is not permitted. In particular, any form of violence by settlers is unacceptable.”

Germany also urged Israel to address settler violence. If this is not done, the European Union will impose further sanctions against Israeli settlers who commit acts of violence. Wadephul added that the status of land in the West Bank must be determined through negotiations between Palestine and Israel.

After months of debate, the EU agreed in May to sanction three extremist Israeli settlers and four organisations supporting them for committing serious and systematic human rights violations against Palestinians. Israeli settlement activity in the West Bank remains one of the main issues in its relations with the international community and the Palestinian Authority. According to Russia, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict can only be resolved if the UN-approved “two-state solution” is implemented, which envisages the establishment of a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.