BERLIN, February 7, 2017 (WAFA) – The German government Tuesday denounced Israel’s settlement “legalization” law saying it was a disappointment.

A spokesman for the German Foreign Office said in Berlin that the Israeli parliament adoption of the law has “disappointed many in Germany who have deep ties to Israel and who have stood by it.”

“Our confidence in the Israeli government‘s commitment to the two-state solution has been severely shaken,” said the spokesman, adding, “Only a negotiated two-state solution can bring peace and be in the interest of Israel. The two-state solution was and remains the basic pillar of Germany’s Middle East policy.”

Germany expressed hope that the Israeli government would renew its commitment to a negotiated two-state solution and to support that with practical steps.

It said that statements by Israeli officials regarding the annexation of parts of the West Bank and who are preparing draft laws for that, “the issue has become a question of credibility."

M.K.