Portugal Warns Israel's Settlements Undermine Palestinian State Prospects
Portugal's Concerns Over Israeli Policies and Regional Stability
LISBON, Sept 14 (Reuters) - Portugal's foreign minister said on Monday that Israeli settlement expansion and economic pressure in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem were undermining prospects for a viable Palestinian state.
Statements from Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel
Criticism of the E1 Settlement Plan
• Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel said Israel's E1 settlement plan was "extremely pernicious" because it would divide the West Bank, isolate East Jerusalem and was incompatible with a two-state solution.
Economic Measures and Their Impact
• Israel's withholding of Palestinian tax revenues amounted to a "brutal strangulation" of the Palestinian Authority's finances, preventing the economy from functioning, he said after meeting Palestinian Foreign Minister Varsen Aghabekian Shahin in Lisbon.
Humanitarian and Social Concerns
Closure of Christian Schools
• Rangel also cited the closure of Christian schools in East Jerusalem as evidence of worsening conditions there.
Portugal's Recognition of Palestine
• Portugal recognised the State of Palestine a year ago.
Path Forward: The Two-State Solution
• Rangel said the two-state solution was the only way to guarantee peaceful coexistence between Israelis and Palestinians.
Recent Diplomatic Developments
• Israel said last week it was closing Britain's consulate in East Jerusalem in response to plans by the UK, France and Canada to block imports from Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
(Reporting by Sergio Goncalves; editing by Charlie Devereux and Ros Russell)
