In brief
The United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy and Canada issued a joint statement condemning Israel’s decision to open tender for 1,200 settlement homes in the West Bank’s E1 corridor, calling the move "unacceptable" and urging Israel to retract the plan immediately. The statement warned that the project would undermine the possibility of a contiguous two‑state solution, cut off the northern West Bank from the south, and elevate tensions across the region. Despite international pressure and a court challenge from Bedouin Palestinians, the Israeli housing ministry released the tender, citing a 12‑square‑kilometre area between East Jerusalem and Maale Adumim. The E1 project has long been viewed as a strategic move to secure Israeli dominance in Jerusalem while blocking Palestinian statehood. International leaders, including the UN Secretary‑General and Belgium’s foreign minister, have also criticised the plan as an existential threat to a viable Palestinian state.A one‑paragraph row of images, including a panoramic view of the highway near Maale Adumim and a detailed map of settlement locations, underscore the geopolitical stakes and local scarcities identified by activists and policy analysts alike.
UK, France, Germany, Italy and Canada condemn Israel's West Bank settlement project
In a joint statement, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy and Canada called Israel’s plans to open tender for the construction of around 1,200 settlement homes in the strategically important West Bank “unacceptable” and urged the Israeli government to retract the plans immediately.
All settlements are illegal under international law, and under international pressure Israel has held off for decades on plans to build in E1 to the east of Jerusalem. Many of its allies and Palestinians argue this development would deal a major blow to hopes of a two‑state solution, effectively cutting the West Bank in two and isolating east Jerusalem.
Government leaders, including the UN Secretary‑General and Belgium’s foreign minister, released separate statements warning that the E1 plan poses an existential threat to a contiguous Palestinian state. The UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband’s earlier condemnation drew a strong rejection from Israel’s foreign minister.
In spite of a court challenge by Bedouin Palestinians living in the area and Israeli peace groups, on Wednesday the Israeli housing ministry issued a tender for 1,234 of the 3,401 housing units approved by the Israeli government last August. The project covers about 12 sq km between East Jerusalem and the settlement of Maale Adumim.
The deadline for bids is 19 October, just days before Israel’s general election on 27 October, making it difficult for any future government to reverse the decisions already made.
Israel has built around 160 settlements housing 700,000 Jews in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 1967, while roughly 3.3 million Palestinians occupy the same jurisdictions. The rapid expansion has accelerated since Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu returned to power in late 2022.
Opponents of the E1 project warn that it would prevent the development of a contiguous Palestinian urban area linking Ramallah, East Jerusalem and Bethlehem, effectively blocking any viable independent Palestinian state.
Source: AFP via Getty Images. Map of Israeli settlements and Palestinian areas in the West Bank around Jerusalem – highlighting the E1 settlement in red.
