Israel’s illegal settlements are Europe’s credibility test
Summary
The European Union’s foreign service report highlights a major increase in Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian lands, which threatens the chance for a two-state solution. The report calls these settlements part of a wider plan that violates Palestinian rights and could prevent a future Palestinian state.Key Facts
- The EU’s annual 2025 report confirmed that Israeli settlement building is a coordinated political project, not just population growth.
- In 2025, Israel approved 54 new official settlements and created 86 new outposts in the West Bank (excluding East Jerusalem).
- Plans exist for over 63,000 new settlement housing units, with more than half planned in East Jerusalem, more than doubling from 2023.
- Settlement policies are fragmenting the West Bank and isolating East Jerusalem, threatening the viability of a future Palestinian state.
- Approximately 800,000 settlers now live in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, supported by Israeli infrastructure and military forces.
- Israeli settlers have used violence against Palestinians, often with protection from Israeli soldiers.
- The EU has repeatedly stated support for a two-state solution, but its reaction to these developments has been limited.
- The report links these settlement expansions to a broader pattern of land confiscation, population displacement, and governance changes harmful to Palestinians.
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