Belgium: New Jewish settlements endanger Palestine solution

Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Didier Reynders, Monday said he was "very concerned " by the announcement by the Israeli government to build new settlements in occupied East Jerusalem and West Bank. In a statement, he said that while peace talks are entering a crucial phase it is essential to avoid any action that would undermine trust between the Palestinians and Israelis parties. "The settlements are illegal under international law and constitute an obstacle to peace," stressed Reynders and called for a stop to all settlement activity in the Palestinian Occupied Territories. The Belgian minister emphasized the importance for the parties to reach an early agreement that leads to a final status solution that would create two sovereign and democratic states living side by side in peace and security. He regretted that the announcement of new settlements "threats every day the two-state solution."