Former Israeli diplomat Alon Pinkas said European countries’ condemnations and criticism do not carry much weight with Israel and can instead strengthen the government’s position. Speaking to Al Jazeera in remarks published on August 23, 2026, he addressed recent European criticism of Israel’s E1 settlement project in the West Bank.

Pinkas said such criticism gives the Israeli government an opportunity to advance its long-standing argument that the whole world is against Israel, that others are antisemitic, and that an anti-Israel atmosphere has been created. Before his comments, several European countries and Canada issued a joint statement on Thursday criticizing the E1 project and warning of possible legal and reputational consequences.

The E1 project is linked to the expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, an issue that has long caused disagreement between Israel and European countries. Pinkas, who served as Israel’s consul general in New York from 2000 to 2004, said statements and condemnations from EU countries’ parliaments or foreign ministries do not create real pressure. He said criticism limited to words and “hollow condemnations” is unlikely to prompt major policy change.