Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) led 29 Senate Democratic colleagues on a joint statement on Friday urging the Israeli government to reverse its decision to allow settlement construction in the E1 area, which critics say would imperil the possibility of a contiguous Palestinian state in the West Bank.

“Construction in the E1 area would sever East Jerusalem from major Palestinian population centers and make a viable contiguous Palestinian state under a two-state solution far harder to achieve,” the letter reads. “For decades, Republican and Democratic administrations have recognized that development in E1 would seriously jeopardize the prospects for a Palestinian state. That concern remains just as urgent today.”

The lawmakers called on Israel to rescind the E1 construction permits, halt settlement expansion and take action to halt settler violence. They also called on the Trump administration to take steps to halt such activity including targeted sanctions on individuals and entities.” The lawmakers did not specify who or what should be sanctioned.

“Without a change in course, Israel risks weakening its international standing and undermining its prospects for long-term security,” the lawmakers said.

The lawmakers said that, particularly at a time of “unprecedented” settler violence against Palestinians and Palestinian Americans, moving ahead with construction in the E1 area “risks further destabilizing the West Bank and making a negotiated resolution even more difficult.”

The U.K., France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Canada and Norway issued a joint statement last week similarly condemning the Israeli government’s decision to publish construction tenders for the E1 settlement.