Western nations urge Israel to halt settler violence: joint statement

Western nations and the European Union Friday urged Israel to "take concrete steps to halt unprecedented violence by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank," in a joint statement published by France's foreign ministry.

The call from Australia, Britain, Canada, France, the European Union and several other European countries -- but notably excluding Germany and the United States -- highlighted "an unprecedented number of attacks perpetrated by extremist settlers" since early October that they said had claimed eight Palestinian lives and wounded 83 people.