The foreign ministers of Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom have issued a joint statement warning that developments in the West Bank are increasingly threatening the prospects for a two-state solution.
The ministers said Israel’s actions in the West Bank were undermining the possibility of establishing a viable Palestinian state, citing what they described as unprecedented levels of settler violence and continued settlement expansion. They specifically criticized the decision to publish tenders for the E1 settlement project.
The statement said the leaders of the UK, France and Canada had agreed on the need for action to prevent further damage to the prospects for a two-state solution.
The 12 countries also announced their intention either to introduce national restrictions or support European measures restricting trade in goods from Israeli settlements that are considered illegal under international law. Some countries said they were actively considering such measures alongside other steps, subject to their respective national procedures.
The UK, France and Canada welcomed measures already taken by Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands, Norway and Belgium and said they would introduce national measures to prohibit trade in settlement goods.
The foreign ministers stressed that protecting the two-state solution remained a priority and said they were committed to pursuing what they described as a just and lasting peace based on the principles of the New York Declaration adopted a year earlier.
They strongly opposed actions they said amounted to the annexation of Palestinian territory or the forced displacement of Palestinians. The ministers called on the Israeli government to immediately stop settlement expansion and the extension of civilian administrative powers in the West Bank. They also called for accountability over settler violence and investigations into allegations involving Israeli forces.
At the same time, the statement recognized Israel’s legitimate security interests and reiterated condemnation of the Hamas attack of October 7, describing it as the worst antisemitic massacre since the Holocaust. The countries also reaffirmed their commitment to combating antisemitism wherever it occurs.
The ministers reiterated their unequivocal support for a two-state solution in line with relevant UN Security Council resolutions, envisioning Israel and a sovereign, democratic and viable Palestinian state living side by side in peace and security, with mutual recognition and within secure, internationally recognized borders.
