JAKARTA - Indonesia rejects and condemns Israel's plan to build more than 2,000 new homes for illegal Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank, saying the move exacerbates the humanitarian crisis and distances the prospect of peace.
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on Wednesday announced major expansion plans in three Jewish settlements in the West Bank.
Indonesian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson II Vahd Nabyl A. Mulachela said, "Indonesia has a clear and consistent position to reject and condemn Israel's statement regarding the plan to build 2,162 new houses in the West Bank.
"This plan will only worsen the humanitarian crisis and further distance the prospect of a just, comprehensive and sustainable peace," Nabyl told VOI.id, Friday (5/6).
Smotrich, a right-wing minister with authority over parts of Israel's civil administration in the West Bank, said the planning committee had approved the construction of 2,162 new homes for Jews.
This includes 1,006 units in new settlements near Jerusalem, 922 units near the Palestinian city of Nablus, and 234 units near Hebron.
"We continue to build the Land of Israel practically," said Smotrich, an ultranationalist sanctioned by Britain, France and other countries who accuse him of inciting violence against Palestinians, launching Al Arabiya and Reuters.
The new houses will "strengthen our control over the land, strengthen Israel's security, and establish clear facts on the ground that prevent the creation of an Arab terror state in the heart of the country," Smotrich said in a statement, without mentioning when construction would begin.
It is known that most countries consider Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal under international law and a major obstacle to a two-state solution for long-term peace.
"The resolution of the issue of Palestinian occupation can only be achieved through the end of the Israeli occupation and the realization of the Two-State Solution based on internationally agreed parameters," Nabyl said.
Around three million Palestinians live in the West Bank, while the number of Israeli residents in the area is around half a million.
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