German FM condemns Israel’s expansion of settlement

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock yesterday condemned Israeli settlement expansion in the occupied Palestinian West Bank, news agencies reported.

Her remarks came during a joint press conference held with her Israeli counterpart Eli Cohen in Berlin.

Responding to her remarks, Cohen said that Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank would continue to be built under the current government, as they had under the previous one.

“Definitely, we will continue to build there as well,” Cohen said. “We will preserve the important relations with Germany on bilateral, European, and international levels.”

READ: Western countries ‘deeply troubled’ by Israeli settlements plan

Baerbock also expressed concern about Israel’s planned judicial overhaul, as well as plans to impose the death penalty against Palestinian prisoners.

“I will not deny that we abroad are concerned about some of the legislative plans in Israel,” she told the media during the press conference.

“Among the values that unite us is the protection of constitutional principles such as the independence of the judiciary,” Baerbock said.