Seven Western nations—Britain, Italy, France, Germany, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand—issued a joint statement on May 22 calling on Israel to halt expansion of settlements in the West Bank and to curb settler violence against Palestinians [1, 2, 3]. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said, "Over the past few months, the situation in the West Bank has deteriorated significantly. Settler violence is at unprecedented levels" and added that Israeli government policies risk undermining prospects for a two-state solution [2].
The statement criticized Israeli government policies as aggravating tensions and undermining the possibility of a negotiated two-state outcome [1, 2, 3, 4]. Some Israeli officials have called for annexing parts of the West Bank and forced displacement of Palestinians, which the Western countries reject [4].
The statement also warned companies against bidding on construction tenders linked to the controversial E1 settlement project, citing legal and reputational risks. The nine Western countries issuing this warning include the original seven plus Norway and the Netherlands [2, 3].
The E1 project plans to build approximately 3,400 housing units over 12 square kilometers of land connecting East Jerusalem and the Ma’ale Adumim settlement, effectively bisecting the West Bank [2, 3, 4]. Israel’s far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich approved the project in August 2025 and said it would "bury" the idea of a sovereign Palestinian state [2]. He declared, "Those in the world trying to recognise a Palestinian state will get an answer from us on the ground. Not through documents, not through decisions or declarations, but through facts. Facts of homes, neighbourhoods, roads and Jewish families building their lives" [2].
More than 700,000 Israelis live in settlements across the occupied West Bank [3]. Human rights groups allege Israeli authorities allow settlers to act with impunity in attacks against Palestinians [3].
The Israel Land Authority published a tender in January 2026 for the 3,401 housing units in E1 [2]. The joint statement comes amid reports of escalating violence and settlement activity.
The next scheduled step includes monitoring the outcomes of tenders and international reactions in the coming months as construction plans in the E1 area progress and tensions remain high [2, 3].
