NZ deeply concerned at West Bank land appropriation

Foreign Minister Murray McCully says New Zealand is deeply concerned at the announcement by Israel’s Civil Administration Authority that they will appropriate 400 hectares of privately owned Palestinian land near Bethlehem for Israeli settlements.

“Israel’s settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem undermine efforts to negotiate a final status agreement with the Palestinians based on a two state solution,” Mr McCully says.

“In a meeting with Israel’s Deputy Foreign Minister at the UN SIDS Conference in Apia this morning, I encouraged Israel to reconsider the announcement.

“Its timing is particularly disappointing, coming when the focus should be on supporting the ceasefire in Gaza, and the peace talks in Cairo, not deepening Israel’s occupation in the West Bank.
“New Zealand would like to see a return to negotiations to agree on a two state solution, whereby Israel and a Palestinian state can exist peacefully side by side.

“Announcements like this are deeply unhelpful to efforts to restart peace negotiations,” Mr McCully says.

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