EU wants Israel to 'reconsider' East Jerusalem building

By Diyar Guldogan

ANKARA (AA) - Israel needs to "reconsider" its further settlement plans in East Jerusalem, the EU said on Friday.

"The settlement policy is illegal under international law, and its continuation undermines the viability of the two-state solution and the prospect for a lasting peace," according to the office of EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini.

Israeli authorities have issued building permits for over 1,500 settlement units in occupied East Jerusalem, the EU said.

"Reportedly, further settlement plans are expected to move forward, including in the Palestinian neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah. The EU expects the Israeli authorities to reconsider these decisions," it added, calling on both sides to move towards a negotiated two-state solution.

Israel occupied the West Bank -- including East Jerusalem -- during the 1967 Middle East War. It later annexed the city in 1980, claiming it as the capital of the Jewish state in a move never recognized by the international community.

International law views the West Bank and East Jerusalem as "occupied territories" and considers all Jewish settlement-building activity on the land to be illegal.

Palestinians accuse Israel of waging an aggressive campaign to 'Judaize' the historic city with the aim of effacing its Arab and Islamic identity and driving out its Palestinian inhabitants.