Six European countries, including Spain, have called this Saturday for the cessation of all unilateral actions and incitement to violence in the conflict between Palestinians and Israelis, and insisted that the Israeli government must reverse its new colonization program in the West Bank.

“We urge the Israeli government to reverse its recent decision to go ahead with the construction of more than 7,000 settlements in the occupied West Bank and to legalize wild colonies,” said the joint statement signed by France, Germany, Italy, Poland, the United Kingdom and Spain.

In the text, these countries reaffirm, in general, their opposition to “all unilateral measures that compromise the two-State solution, including the progression of colonization, which is illegal under international law.” They also “strongly” condemn the “recent terrorist attacks” that have caused the death of Israeli citizens and insist that “terrorism cannot be justified in any way.”
But they also show their rejection of “the blind violence of the Israeli settlers against Palestinian civilians”, as well as the destruction of their houses and property. “These acts -the statement warns- cannot lead anywhere, if not to more violence”, for which they demand that their perpetrators be held accountable before the Justice.

The signatory states see a light of hope in the joint statement of Israelis and Palestinians issued last Sunday after the meeting organized in the Jordanian city of Aqaba, under the auspices of Jordan itself, the United Kingdom and the United States.

A statement in which they reaffirmed the need to engage against escalation on the ground, affirmed their willingness to avoid further violence, and agreed to work towards a just and lasting peace. The six European countries consider that it is the first result of this type “for many years” and for this reason they ask the parties to “refrain from making this fragile process fail” and to fulfill the commitments assumed in Aqaba.