Switzerland is deeply concerned about the final approval of the plan permitting the construction of a new Israeli settlement at Givat Hamatos as well as about the occupation, this week, of several buildings by Israeli settlers in Silwan. These acts are contributing to the isolation of East Jerusalem from the rest of the West Bank and exacerbating the fragmentation of the occupied Palestinian territory.
The publication of plans to transfer Bedouin communities living in zones also planned for the construction of settlements constitutes an equally disturbing development. In this context, the recent tensions reported on the Esplanade of the Mosques give rise to fears of a new escalation of violence.
Switzerland considers both the establishment of settlements and the forced transfer of persons to be in contravention of international law. This policy is an obstacle to the search for peace, and seriously compromises the two-state solution.
Switzerland calls on the Israeli government to reconsider these plans, to take measures to reduce tensions, and to resume the negotiations to establish a fair and lasting peace based on the two-state solution.
Address for enquiries:
Information FDFA
Bundeshaus West
CH-3003 Bern
Tel.: +41 58 462 31 53
Fax: +41 58 464 90 47
E-Mail: info@eda.admin.ch
