Mogherini urges Israel to reconsider decision to raze Bedouin village

EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini calls on Israel to reverse its decision to demolish a Bedouin village in the West Bank, saying the

Mogherini in a statement says razing Khan al-Ahmad is “illegal under international law, would severely threaten the viability of the two-state solution and undermine prospects for peace.”

She says the EU “expects the Israeli authorities to reconsider their decision,” adding that the consequences of forcibly transferring the village’s 200 residents would be “very serious.”

After a years-long legal battle, the Supreme Court approved the demolition of Khan al-Ahmar in May. The state says the structures were built without the relevant building permits and pose a threat to residents because of their proximity to a highway.

But activists say the villagers had little alternative but to build without Israeli construction permits, as the documents are almost never issued to Palestinians for building in parts of the West Bank, such as Khan al-Ahmar, where Israel has full control over civilian affairs.