Western powers issue a joint rebuke to Israel

**Alex Ritzen** (0:00)
This is the Global News Podcast from the BBC World Service. I'm Alex Ritzen, and in the early hours of Friday, the 21st of August, these are our main stories. Key Western leaders, not including the US, jointly condemn Israel's settlement project that would cut off the Palestinian West Bank from East Jerusalem. Reports from Pakistan say the former Prime Minister Imran Khan has been returned to jail after a court-ordered visit to hospital. And the World Health Organisation says it's sending 70,000 vaccine doses to help tackle the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Also in this podcast, the US piles pressure on Cuba by slapping it with yet more sanctions and...

**Cathy Rensenbrink** (0:49)
I don't think it's helpful for people to think that they have to slog on with something they're not enjoying. I think it would be better to move on to something else and think that reading should just be a pleasure.

**Alex Ritzen** (1:00)
The debate about whether it's OK to not finish reading books.
Not for the first time, major Western powers have come together to issue a stern rebuke to Israel over Jewish settlement activity in the occupied West Bank. They're demanding that Israel immediately stop a bidding process to build around 1200 homes in the settlement called E1, which would cut off occupied East Jerusalem from the West Bank. Israel's far right finance minister Bezalel Smotrich previously said that E1 would bury the idea of a Palestinian state. Israel's closest ally, the United States, isn't one of the Western powers condemning Israel. Our diplomatic correspondent Caroline Hawley told me which ones were.

**Caroline Hawley** (1:48)
It's the UK, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Canada and Norway. They have voiced grave concerns. They say privately and publicly about this E1 project. They say it would drive a wedge through the West Bank and undermine the prospect for a two state solution. That is a state for the Palestinians as well as Israel. They say that under international law, it is clear that settlements in the West Bank are illegal. They say this comes at a time of unprecedented violence by settlers in the West Bank.
And they urge Israel to retract. And they say that these plans further undermine its international standing. Now, very interestingly as well, I think, they also have a warning to construction companies. And I'm going to quote, they say, businesses should not consider bidding for construction tenders. They should be aware of legal and reputational consequences, including the risk of involving themselves in serious breaches of international law. So, it's a strong statement.

**Alex Ritzen** (2:47)
The Israeli government presumably unmoved.

**Caroline Hawley** (2:49)
Well, there's been no comments so far from the Israeli government, but there has been strong criticism from Britain that came before this joint statement. And the Israeli Shajay Defer was called in to hear of Britain's profound objection to the E1 plans and these construction tenders.
And there was a response from the Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, who said it was absurd for the UK to lecture the Jewish people on where they can live.

**Alex Ritzen** (3:17)
Is this statement likely to make any difference at all?

**Caroline Hawley** (3:19)
This is a difficult question. I think statements alone will not make a difference. Ed Miliband, the British Foreign Secretary, has said that in the coming weeks there will be further measures, including sanctions. But it's interesting, I was just looking at a statement from the Israeli group Peace Now, which is opposed to settlements.
And it says that the bidding period closes a week before the Israeli elections in October. So we're in an election period. And it goes on to say that the current Israeli government is trying to sign contracts with contractors before the elections, so that will be much harder for the next government to cancel the construction. So that's their viewpoint.

**Alex Ritzen** (4:00)
What position have other nations taken?

**Caroline Hawley** (4:02)
Well, I think interesting, not on the list of the country signing of this joint statement is the US, of course, because it has the greatest sway. But you have had the US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, who is a supporter of settlements, being very, very critical of recent violence that we've seen being metered out by settlers against Palestinians.

**Alex Ritzen** (4:23)
Caroline Hawley.
Pakistan's former Prime Minister and one-time legendary cricketer Imran Khan has been in jail for three years on what he says are politically motivated corruption charges. Earlier this morning he was moved to hospital for health check-ups on the orders of the Supreme Court. His family say his health is failing. The government though isn't convinced and tried to keep him behind bars. And now, after only a few hours in hospital, reports from Pakistan say Imran Khan has been taken back to prison. Pakistan correspondent Carrie Davis told me more about the background to the latest move.