The Foreign Ministry issued a strong statement rejecting international criticism over the approval of a construction plan in the E1 area near Jerusalem. The ministry emphasized the Jewish people's historic and legal right to live anywhere in the Land of Israel, citing international agreements and the foundations of the Jewish homeland. Officials condemned what they described as discriminatory demands from foreign governments and refuted claims that the construction would hinder the possibility of a future Palestinian state. The ministry also asserted Israel's sovereignty and the authority of its democratically elected government to make decisions in the interests of its citizens, dismissing foreign intervention as unacceptable.