Fourteen countries, including France, Britain and Germany, condemned on Wednesday Israel’s recent approval of new Jewish settlements in the West Bank.

“We, States of Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Iceland, Ireland, Japan, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain and the United Kingdom condemn the approval by the Israeli security cabinet of 19 new settlements in the occupied West Bank,” said a joint statement released by the French foreign ministry.

“We recall our clear opposition to any form of annexation and to the expansion of settlement policies,” it added.

On Sunday, Israel’s far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced that authorities had legalized eight existing outposts and would establish 11 new settlements, saying the move was aimed at preventing the establishment of a Palestinian state.

About half of the outposts are located deep inside........

© The Times of Israel