The expansion of such settlements has coincided with an uptick in violence in the West Bank. The expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank must stop. AdvertisementThe remarks from Global Affairs Canada on social media prompted a rebuttal from the Israeli Foreign Ministry, which accused Canada of moving to “embolden terror”. Israel and Canada have previously feuded over Israel’s control of the occupied West Bank, although critics have pointed out that Ottawa has rarely followed up with concrete policy changes to step up pressure on Israel. In December, Israel denied six Canadian MPs entry into the occupied West Bank, where they had planned to speak with Palestinian officials and human rights advocates.