Ex-diplomats urge EU to act swiftly against Israel’s E1 settlement plan

More than 400 former ministers, ambassadors and senior European officials have called on EU leaders to take immediate action against the expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, according to an open letter published on May 6, as cited by BFM.

The authors of the appeal say Israeli measures are strengthening control over “territories occupied since 1967 and effectively accelerating settlement activity following Hamas’ attack on October 7, 2023.” In their view, this undermines prospects for a settlement and violates international law.

Among the signatories are former European Commission Vice-President Josep Borrell and former Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt. In total, 448 people signed the letter.

The appeal specifically refers to the E1 project, which envisages the construction of thousands of housing units east of Jerusalem. According to the authors, its implementation would effectively divide the West Bank into two parts and “complicate the creation of a future Palestinian state.”

Israel approved the E1 project in August 2025, and in December announced a tender for the construction of 3,400 housing units on a site of around 12 square kilometres. The UN, the EU and several international leaders have previously called for the project to be halted.

The signatories insist that the EU should consider targeted sanctions, including visa restrictions and bans on doing business with individuals and entities involved in settlement activity — ranging from politicians and local authorities to developers and financial institutions.

The West Bank, bordering Jordan, has been under Israeli control since 1967. It is home to more than 500,000 Israeli settlers among approximately three million Palestinians. In recent years, particularly since the war in Gaza began, tensions and clashes in the region have intensified, while according to the UN, settlement expansion reached record levels in 2025.

By Jeyhun Aghazada