Israeli officials have launched a protest against the European Union’s decision to list a Jewish area as a West Bank settlement for the first time.
Modi'in, Maccabim and Reut are now considered "no man’s land" according to the latest list released by the EU.
The district, located halfway between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, is “an integral part of Israel” according to a statement released by Israel’s Foreign Ministry.
The change will significantly affect the area, now treated as a West Bank settlement, as trade exports to the EU will no longer be eligible for tax breaks made under the Israel-EU free-trade agreement.
