German Chancellor Says Israeli Settlement Project in West Bank a Big Mistake

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. (Wikimedia Commons/European People's Party)

JAKARTA - German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Tuesday said a new settlement project in the West Bank pushed by the Israeli government east of Jerusalem was a "big mistake."

"The German government urges that these measures be stopped," said Chancellor Merz, claiming that advancing the so-called E1 project would "complicate the two-state solution," AFP reported (11/3).

Israel in August gave the green light to E1, a new settlement project covering about 12 square kilometers (4.6 square miles) in the occupied West Bank.

The plan has been condemned by several international leaders, with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' spokesman saying it would pose an "existential threat" to the neighboring Palestinian state.

An Israeli settlement watchdog in January slammed the government's issuance of a tender for the construction of some 3,400 housing units in the E1 area.

Chancellor Merz described the developments as "annexation steps" and called on Israel to stop building settlements.

"It is very important for us, Europeans, to convey this message together," he said.

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul will "emphasize this" during his visit to Israel, said Merz.

In 2025, Israeli settlement expansion reached its highest level at least since 2017, when the United Nations began tracking the data, according to a U.N. report.

Israel approved 19 settlements in December, a move that right-wing Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said was aimed at preventing the creation of a Palestinian state.