Nearly 450 former EU ministers, ambassadors and senior officials have called on member states and EU institutions to take action deterring Israel from constructing a controversial Jewish settlement in the occupied West Bank which, say critics, would separate East Jerusalem from the main Palestinian population centres.
The signatories have called on member states to impose targeted sanctions on all individuals and entities engaged in illegal settlement activity in the West Bank.
Those targeted could include politicians, settler leaders, Israeli land and local government authorities, planners, lawyers, architects, engineers, developers, contractors, banks and other financial institutions, according to a statement.
These sanctions should take the form of visa bans and prohibitions on doing business in the EU, said the statement.
The new settlement block, known as EI, would "bisect the West Bank in two and wreck any prospects of a two state solution," said the statement.
"To this end the Israeli government intends to publish on 1st June an initial tender for construction in the E1 area of 3401 residential units to provide housing for up to 15,000 illegal settlers.
"This E1 tender is proceeding despite persistent efforts by the EU and like-minded countries over many years to engage Israel in a critical dialogue to prevent it from illegally acquiring Palestinian land by force.
"The EU and its Member States must act now - including at the Foreign Affairs Council of 11th May - to oppose, together with partners, Israeli illegal settlement actions notably those in the E1 area."
The signatories include a range of former EU ambassadors, diplomats, European officials, MEPs and political figures from across the EU, including former Belgian prime minister Guy Verhofstadt and former Swedish prime minister Stefan Löfvén.
Gaza flotilla activists challenge detention in Israeli court
Meanwhile, two foreign activists seized by Israeli forces from a Gaza-bound flotilla appeared before a court today to appeal against their detention.
Spanish national of Palestinian origin Saif Abu Keshek and Brazilian Thiago Avila were among dozens of activists aboard a flotilla intercepted in international waters off the coast of Greece last week.
The two were brought to Israel for questioning, while the others, including seven Irish citizens, were taken to the Greek island of Crete and released.
Yesterday, an Israeli court extended the detention of Abu Keshek and Avila until Sunday to allow police more time to interrogate them, according to their lawyers.
The pair's legal team then filed an appeal at the Beersheba district court against the detention.
The two activists, their feet shackled, appeared in person for the appeal hearing today, an AFP journalist reported.
Watch: Gaza flotilla activists detained by Israel were tortured, spouses say
Israeli rights group Adalah, which is representing the pair, accused authorities of subjecting the men to continuous abuse in detention.
They were being held in "total isolation, subjected to 24/7 high-intensity lighting in their cells and kept blindfolded whenever they were moved, including during medical examinations", Adalah said.
Israeli authorities have rejected the allegations but have filed no charges against the men.
Adalah said authorities have accused the pair of several offences, including "assisting the enemy during wartime" and "membership in and providing services to a terrorist organisation".
Israel's foreign ministry says both men were affiliated with the Popular Conference for Palestinians Abroad (PCPA), a group accused by Washington of "clandestinely acting on behalf of" Palestinian militant group Hamas.
Spain, Brazil and the United Nations have called for their swift release.
"Israel must immediately and unconditionally release Global Sumud Flotilla members Saif Abu Keshek and Thiago Avila, who were detained in international waters and brought to Israel where they continue to be held without charge," UN rights office spokesman Thameen Al-Kheetan said in a statement.
"It is not a crime to show solidarity and attempt to bring humanitarian aid to the Palestinian population in Gaza, who are in dire need of it," he insisted.
The flotilla had set sail from France, Spain and Italy with the aim of breaking Israel's blockade of Gaza and delivering humanitarian aid to the war-ravaged Palestinian territory.
Israel controls all entry points into Gaza, which has been under an Israeli blockade since 2007.
Additional reporting: AFP
