Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Mexico express “deep concern” over Israeli government’s decision to legalise new settlements in the West Bank.
Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Mexico on Friday expressed “deep concern” over the Israeli government’s decision to legalise new settlements in the West Bank, branding it a “violation” of international law.
“The governments of Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Mexico view with deep concern the Israeli government’s decision to legalise nine outposts and build 10,000 houses in existing settlements in the West Bank,” said a joint statement issued by the Brazilian Foreign Ministry.
“These unilateral measures constitute serious violations of international law and UN Security Council resolutions,” reads the communiqué signed by the four countries.
The government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has decided to expand its occupation of the West Bank, a territory under Israeli rule since 1967, despite the Palestinians’ desire for an independent state.
Most Western powers consider Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal. They are justified by Netanyahu’s government because of alleged historical and political ties between Israel and the territory.
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The return of leftist Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to the Brazilian Presidency on 1 January has ended four years of alignment with Israel by the government of former far-right leader Jair Bolsonaro.
During Bolsonaro’s administration, Brazil aligned itself with Netanyahu’s government and even considered moving the Brazilian Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, a project that never materialised.
In the statement issued by Itamaraty, the governments of Brazil, Mexico, Chile and Argentina called on “Israelis and Palestinians to refrain from acts and provocations that could promote a new escalation of violence” in the region and to resume “negotiations to reach a peaceful solution.”
