Israel opens up tenders for controversial West Bank settlement project

Israel has moved forward with tenders for 1,234 housing units within the contentious E1 settlement project, a move that intensifies international concern over the expansion of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. This project, situated in a strategic area between East Jerusalem and the Maale Adumim settlement, is widely viewed by Palestinians and many international allies as a critical obstacle to a viable two-state solution.

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The government is trying to sign contracts with contractors before the elections so that it will be much harder for the next government to cancel the construction.

Since Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's return to power in late 2022, accompanied by a right-wing, pro-settler coalition, the pace of settlement expansion has markedly increased. This acceleration has been particularly pronounced since the start of the Gaza war, triggered by Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack. The Israeli government has openly stated its intention to 'erase' the concept of a Palestinian state, with the E1 settlement playing a central role in this objective.

Despite legal challenges from Bedouin Palestinians residing in the area and Israeli peace groups, the housing ministry has proceeded with issuing tenders for the construction. These tenders cover approximately 12 square kilometers (4.6 square miles). The Israeli court system has faced challenges regarding these plans, but the government appears determined to advance the project. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, an ultranationalist, has explicitly linked the E1 construction to the elimination of Palestinian statehood.

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Building in E1 will ruin the possibility of reaching an end to the conflict and a peace arrangement based on two states.

Peace Now, an Israeli anti-settlement watchdog, has criticized the government's timing, suggesting the push to sign contracts before the October 27 general election aims to make cancellation by a future government more difficult. They warn that even partial implementation would fundamentally alter the area's geography, severing the northern West Bank from the south and isolating East Jerusalem. Palestinian activist Jamal Juma echoed these concerns, stating the project would devastate prospects for conflict resolution and a peace arrangement based on two states.

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the idea of a Palestinian state was 'being erased'.