Norway, Sweden express concern over Israeli settlement bill
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Norway and Sweden have expressed concern over a planned Israeli bill that would allow expanded construction in major West Bank settlements.
Marit Berger Roesland of the Norwegian Foreign Ministry said in a statement Friday that the proposed law "cast doubts about Israel's declared support for the two-state solution."
The contentious bill that Israel's parliament backed this week would retroactively legalize hundreds of homes in West Bank settlements that sit on private Palestinian land.
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Another Scandinavian country, Sweden — whose relations with Israel have been strained since it recognized Palestinian statehood in 2014 — has also said it is "deeply concerned" about the bill. Sweden said Friday that such settlements are contrary to "Israeli and international law," and "greatly undermine" the possibility of a two-state solution.