Israel has opened tenders for the construction of some 1,200 settlement homes in the strategically important E1 area east of Jerusalem. The timing of the bids—due 19 October—coincides with the country’s January 27 election, making a future reversal much harder.
The development would effectively bisect the West Bank, isolating East Jerusalem and cutting the north‑south link that underpins any prospective Palestinian state. The plan, criticized by the United Nations and other bodies, bears on the broader conflict and the stalled two‑state dialogue.
Despite a court challenge from Bedouin residents and pressure from Israeli peace groups, the Housing Ministry moved ahead, noting that the government’s “erasure of a Palestinian state” would otherwise be hindered. The E1 project covers about 12 square kilometres between Jerusalem and the settlement of Maale Adumim, and includes 1,234 of the 3,401 units approved last August.
Journalists report that the plan could displace more than 40 Bedouin communities and that Palestinian activists, such as Jamal Juma of the Stop the Wall campaign, describe the construction as “a disaster” that threatens countless families.
International observers also warn that the project would alter the geographic and strategic character of the region, undermining any meaningful peace settlement based on two states.
