Colombia called on Israel Tuesday not to proceed with plans to build 1,100 housing units on occupied Palestinian territory.
Israel’s announcement comes only days after the Palestinian leadership urged the United Nations to recognize Palestine as a sovereign state, which was rejected by Colombia and the United States, who want the two peoples to make peace before recognizing Palestine.
However, the move of the Israeli government to expand settlements outside its pre-1967 boundaries falls not within the spirit of the proposal of the “Quartet,”composed of the U.S., the U.N., Europe and Russia, said Santos.
“Because of this, we, as members of the Security Council, want to call on Israel to not move forward with these settlements, that it acts within the spirit of the proposal made by the Quartet … which is how in the end we will succeed having two states, a Palestinian State and and Israeli state, living in peace,” Santos said.
The U.S., together with Colombia rejecting a Palestinian state, said to be “deeply disappointed” by the Israeli announcement. “We have called on both sides to take steps that improve the prospects of direct negotiations getting under way,” Mr. Carney said.
The Palestinian leadership condemned the plan.