France condemns Israeli settlement expansion plans

French foreign ministry on Thursday condemned Israel's decision to build new settlement in East Jerusalem and the West Bank, calling for parties concerned to resume direct negotiations in a "climate of confidence." At a regular press conference, Foreign Ministry spokesman Bernard Valero accused Jerusalem municipal authorities of approving the construction of 130 new dwellings in the settlement of Gilo and a tourist complex in the Palestinian neighborhood of Silwan in East Jerusalem. "France is greatly worried by the increase in announcements of provocative decisions relating to the colonization of East Jerusalem and the West Bank," the spokesman said. He also condemned Israeli government's decision to declare the construction of a wildcat settlement in Ramat Gilad in the north of the West Bank. "All wildcat settlements must be demolished, as Israel promised in the 2003 roadmap," Valero said. He said the settlement as a whole is illegal under international law. "The deliberate and systematic expansion of settlements threatens the two-state solution, essential for ensuring Israel's security in the long term," he said. He urged Israeli government to stop the projects so as to create an atmosphere conducive to the resumption of direct negotiations.