In response to the Israeli government’s recent revival of the E1 settlement plan and the urgent statement from four US Senators regarding looming demolitions and mass displacement in Masafer Yatta, J Street President Jeremy Ben-Ami issued the following statement:
“The Netanyahu government is once again showing its intent to demolish Israel’s democratic future, uproot Palestinians from their land and lock in a one-state reality in the West Bank. With the Trump Administration unwilling to push back on these reckless policies, the voices of Members of Congress are more vital than ever.
The revival of the E1 settlement plan, the ongoing campaign to displace entire villages in Masafer Yatta and the surge in settler violence are deeply alarming. This campaign of demolitions, settler pogroms and settlement expansion not only violates international law and tramples Palestinian rights – it also undermines Israel’s international standing, threatens its democratic future and fuels a cycle of violence that endangers Israelis and Palestinians alike.
We commend Senators Merkley, Van Hollen, Sanders and Welch for their urgent statement shining a light on the looming demolitions in Masafer Yatta. We urge more Members of Congress to join the growing international opposition to the E1 settlement plans, which are designed to cut the West Bank in two and hamper the creation of a viable Palestinian state.
Pressure from international allies and US lawmakers has succeeded in halting demolitions and E1 plans before, and it is our deepest hope that it can do so once again.
As the Netanyahu government drives Israel deeper into dangerous territory in the West Bank and Gaza, all who care about the future of both peoples must speak out and demand a new course.”