Brazil and others denounce Israel’s West Bank moves
Following a series of attacks on annexed East Jerusalem, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, and Mexico condemned Israel's decision to legalize settlements in the occupied West Bank on Friday.
The four nations signed a statement issued by Brazil's foreign ministry that expressed "deep concern" about Israel's announcement last Sunday that it would retroactively legalize nine existing outposts on the West Bank and allow for the construction of 10,000 new homes there.
"These unilateral measures are serious violations of international law and UN Security Council resolutions," the statement said.
The majority of Western powers regard Israeli settlements in Palestinian territory occupied since 1967 as illegal and a violation of international law.
In the West Bank, where 2.9 million Palestinians live, 475,000 Israelis live in settlements.
The election of leftist Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva as President of Brazil on January 1 ended a four-year period of Brazilian support for Israel under his far-right predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro, who even proposed moving the South American country's embassy from Tel Aviv to contested Jerusalem.
The Latin American governments issued a statement urging both sides to "refrain from acts and provocations that could promote a new escalation of violence" in the region and urging negotiations for a "peaceful solution" to the long-running conflict.
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