Israel Resumes Pushing the E1 Settlement Plan to Separate the West Bank and Expand Settlements

SadaNews - The Israeli authorities have decided to resume pushing the settlement plan in the E1 area located east of Jerusalem, which would separate the northern West Bank from the southern part, for the first time since 2021, according to a report released by the newspaper "Haaretz" on Monday.

The report stated that the Higher Planning Council in the "Civil Administration" - the entity that succeeded the Israeli military rule and follows the Ministry of Occupation Security - will discuss on August 6 objections submitted against the project in a session that will conclude the phase of official objections.

Several Palestinians living in the area, along with organizations such as "Peace Now," "Ir Amim," and the "Environmental Justice Association," submitted official objections to the plan, noting in their objections that the implementation of the project would cause harm to the only remaining area of land located in the heart of the Palestinian urban cluster between Ramallah, Jerusalem, and Bethlehem, which includes about one million Palestinians.

They pointed out that the project carries "potential consequences for any future settlement" as it "creates settlement continuity from the center of the West Bank to Jerusalem".

The plans for the E1 area include the establishment of 3,412 new settlement units, divided over two separate programs. These projects had previously been proposed slowly over the past years due to international pressures, particularly from the United States, amid concerns about undermining the prospects of establishing a Palestinian state in the future.

The E1 area spans 12 square kilometers and is part of the municipal influence of the "Ma'ale Adumim" settlement, located to the north and west of it. Although the plans were proposed during Rabin's government, they have been frozen since 2005 for political reasons.

The Israeli Minister of Finance, Bezalel Smotrich, stated at a settlement conference organized by the newspaper "Makor Rishon" last May that the government will approve construction in the E1 area, saying, "We have been talking about this for years, and we will approve the plans, and we are working on that professionally."

He added, "In this way, we effectively eliminate the Palestinian state" and pledged to "impose Israeli sovereignty" over the occupied West Bank. Smotrich considered that these steps will lead to a "significant increase in the number of settlers in the West Bank," saying: "This is how we reach a million settlers."

In March, the Cabinet approved the paving of a road designated for Palestinians south of the E1 area, aimed at implementing construction plans and paving the way for the future annexation of the "Ma'ale Adumim" settlement.

The new road will connect Palestinian villages in the northern West Bank with those located in the south, as Palestinian vehicle traffic will be diverted away from Route 1, allowing it to be used almost exclusively by settlers and Jews between Jerusalem and "Ma'ale Adumim".

For its part, "Peace Now" submitted an official objection to the project, stating in its statement that "the Netanyahu-Smotrich government is exploiting the war on Gaza, the fragile internal situation in Israel, and the confused international stance to impose facts on the ground that undermine the opportunity for peace and a two-state solution."

It added, "This government is pushing us toward the continuation of the conflict and bloodshed, and leading Israel toward the abyss. The implementation of this project would be a historical disaster and would make achieving a peaceful future more difficult than ever."