Reinicke, director of the German Orient Institute, has sharply criticized Israel’s settlement policy in the West Bank. In an interview with Deutschlandfunk, he described the continued expansion of settlements as a ‘de facto annexation’ – a process that is illegal under international law. The Israeli government officially recognizes some of these settlements, even though they were built on occupied territory in violation of international law.
The new settlement project ‘E1’ is particularly in focus. Located east of Jerusalem, it would effectively split the West Bank in two, making Palestinian statehood nearly impossible. Reinicke called on the international community to move beyond mere protests and take concrete economic and diplomatic steps to halt settlement construction.
Israel’s settlement policy has been a central point of contention in the Middle East conflict for decades. The Palestinians claim the West Bank as the core of a future state. The US and the EU consider the settlements illegal but have so far imposed no effective sanctions. Reinicke’s appeal is therefore also directed at the German government to toughen its stance.
Source: www.deutschlandfunk.de
