EU Says Will Not Recognize Any Israeli Changes to 1967 Borders

“International law is a fundamental pillar of the international rules-based order. In this respect, the EU and its Member States recall that they will not recognize any changes to the 1967 borders unless agreed by Israelis and Palestinians. The two-state solution, with Jerusalem as the future capital for both States, is the only way to ensure sustainable peace and stability in the region,” Borrell said in a statement on Monday, WAFA news agency reported.

“We strongly urge Israel to refrain from any unilateral decision that would lead to the annexation of any occupied Palestinian territory and would be, as such, contrary to International Law,” he said.

Elsewhere in his statement, Borrell expressed the EU’s willingness to help restart Israeli-Palestinian talks, adding that “the two-state solution, with Jerusalem (al-Quds) as the future capital for both states, is the only way to ensure sustainable peace and stability in the region.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has set July 1 for the start of cabinet discussions on extending Israeli appropriation to settlements in the West Bank and annexing the Jordan Valley.

Israel occupied the West Bank and East Jerusalem (al-Quds) during the Six-Day War in 1967. It later annexed East Jerusalem (al-Quds) in a move not recognized by the international community.

Palestinians want the West Bank as part of a future independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem al-Quds as its capital.

But Israel's aggressive settlement expansion and annexation plans have dealt a serious blow to any prospects of peace. The last round of Israeli-Palestinian talks collapsed in 2014. Among the major sticking points in those negotiations was Israel’s continued settlement expansion on Palestinian territories.