8 EU states urge Israel govt to reconsider Bedouin village demolition

Eight European Union states have underlined their opposition to Israel’s planned demolition of the Palestinian village of Khan al-Ahmar, urging the government to reconsider the decision. The statement was read by Dutch Ambassador Karel Van Oosterom outside the UN Security Council on Thursday, AP reports. It rebuked the Israeli High Court’s September 5 decision to demolish the desert community. France, Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, United Kingdom, Belgium, Germany, and Italy say in the statement that they “will not give up on a negotiated two-state solution with Jerusalem as a capital” of both Israel and a new Palestinian state. The statement is seen as an implicit slap at US President Donald Trump’s declaration in December that contested Jerusalem is the capital of Israel.