Israelis protest over European delegation’s visit to site of planned settlement

ISRAELI protesters shouted down a group of European diplomats who were visiting the site of a planned settlement expansion in east Jerusalem that would make it even harder to establish a viable Palestinian state.

The diplomats went to Givat Hamatos to voice their opposition a day after Israeli authorities announced tenders for more than 1,200 new homes.

The new construction would further sever east Jerusalem from the nearby Palestinian town of Bethlehem and the southern West Bank. They were met by around 50 right-wing protesters who waved Israeli flags and chanted “EU, shame on you!”

The protesters chanted so loudly that members of the delegation were unable to deliver public statements and had to relocate to another part of the city.

Sven Kuhn von Burgsdorf, the EU representative to the Palestinian territories, said the planned settlement expansion “gives some observers the impression” that

Israel is trying to create “facts on the ground” before US president-elect Joe Biden assumes office in January.

“It’s very important to demonstrate unity in the international community that any such project, any such construction, which is illegal under international law, cannot go forward,” he said.

The Palestinians want a future state that includes east Jerusalem and the West Bank – territories occupied by Israel in the 1967 war – and view settlements as a major obstacle to peace.

With nearly 500,000 settlers now living in the West Bank, and more than 220,000 more in east Jerusalem, the Palestinians say the chances of establishing their state are quickly dwindling.

Israel has long dismissed international criticism of settlement activity, but the decision to move ahead with construction at Givat Hamatos could strain ties with Mr Biden, who opposes expansion.

President Donald Trump has given unprecedented support to Israel, including abandoning the decades-old US position that settlements are illegitimate. US secretary of state Mike Pompeo plans to visit a Jewish settlement in the occupied West Bank later this week in a stunning departure from his predecessors, who often spoke out against settlement construction.