21 Countries Reject Israel To Build Illegal Big Settlements In The West Bank Of Palestine

JAKARTA - A total of 21 countries including Britain and France refused to sign a joint statement agreeing Israel to build large illegal settlements in the West Bank of Palestinian soil.

They considered the plan unacceptable and was a violation of international law.

"We condemn this decision and call for its immediate cancellation as hard as possible," the foreign ministers from 21 countries, also signed by Australia, Canada and Italy, quoted from AFP.

The Head of Foreign Affairs of the European Commission (EU) said Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden also signed a statement against the Israeli development project.

The statement also stressed that Israel's plan undermined the push of many countries to resolve the two-state solutions related to the conflict in Palestine. The two-state solution if implemented would make Palestine and Israel two independent and predicated side states.

"On the other hand, it risks damaging security and triggering violence and further instability, which further distances us from peace," the foreign ministers said in a statement.