Oslo, Jan 01,
2010 – “Norway deplores Israel’s plans to increase building
activity in East Jerusalem,” said Foreign Minister Jonas
Gahr Støre.
Israeli
authorities have presented plans to build nearly 700 housing
units in East Jerusalem. The building activity will take
place on occupied territory, and must therefore be viewed as
illegal under international law. The international community
has never recognized the annexation of East Jerusalem in
1967.
“The question
of the future status of Jerusalem is crucial to the peace
process and negotiations on a lasting peace settlement
between the Israelis and the Palestinians. As Norway has
said a number of times before, building activity of the kind
that is now planned serves only to hamper and undermine the
possibility of re-starting negotiations on a lasting
two-state solution. It is still essential that no unilateral
actions are taken that can lead to further escalation of the
conflict,” Mr Støre commented. |
