Israel has sparked strong reactions by adding a tender for the construction of 2,167 housing units in the E1 settlement expansion plan. This plan, which has drawn criticism from human rights groups, jeopardizes the possibility of establishing a Palestinian state.
Serious impacts on Palestinian land
This project, which leads to the fragmentation of Palestinian land, separates the area that Palestinians hope to one day use as the center of their government from East Jerusalem. The new tender adds to a tender announced at the end of August for 1,234 units, bringing the total number of housing units to 3,401.
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Reactions to Israel's action
This decision has been strongly criticized by a representative of Mahmoud Abbas, the President of Palestine, who called it a violation of international law. Additionally, Israel's Finance Minister, Bezalel Smotrich, a member of the far-right nationalists in the ruling coalition, stated that this plan means the "burial" of a Palestinian state.
The tender is set to open for proposals on October 25, two days before the parliamentary elections in Israel. The human rights group "Ir Amim" has emphasized the Israeli government's determination to advance the E1 project, describing it as an effort to create an irreversible reality on the ground before the elections.
Many Western countries and activist groups have protested this project, expressing their concerns about its impact on a future peace agreement with the Palestinians. Recently, the UK, France, and Canada have banned exports from Israeli settlements in the West Bank. Edward Miliband, the British Foreign Secretary, stated that the E1 project poses the risk of creating an unsustainable Palestinian state.
In the Israeli right-wing coalition government, significant expansion of settlements in the West Bank has been observed. UN bodies, Palestinians, and most countries consider these settlements illegal under international conventions and view them as a major obstacle to peace.
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