BY EMMANUEL OGBONNA
Israel has taken a decisive step toward launching construction on one of its most controversial settlement projects, clearing the final procedural barrier for building thousands of housing units in a strategic area east of Jerusalem that critics say would effectively split the occupied West Bank in two.
A government-issued tender seeking bids from private developers has been published, paving the way for work to begin on the long-delayed E1 project. The tender marks the last major administrative requirement before construction can start and signals a shift from planning to implementation.
The move was first highlighted by the Israeli anti-settlement watchdog Peace Now, which monitors government activity in the occupied territories. Yoni Mizrahi, who heads the group’s settlement monitoring efforts, said the issuance of the tender means preliminary construction work could begin as early as the coming weeks.
The E1 area, an open stretch of land east of Jerusalem between the city and the large settlement of Ma’ale Adumim, has been at the center of political and diplomatic disputes for more than two decades. Although Israeli governments have repeatedly advanced plans for construction there, actual building has been frozen for years, largely due to sustained pressure from the United States and concerns over international backlash.
That restraint now appears to be ending. The tender, which is publicly available on the website of the Israel Land Authority, calls for proposals to build 3,401 housing units, along with associated infrastructure. Peace Now said the publication of the tender reflects an accelerated push by the current government to turn long-standing settlement plans into facts on the ground.
Settlement construction in the West Bank is widely viewed by the international community as illegal under international law and as a major obstacle to resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Successive Israeli governments have rejected that interpretation, arguing that the territory is disputed and that Jews have historical and legal claims to the land.
The E1 project has drawn particular opposition because of its geographic impact. By linking Jerusalem to settlements deeper in the West Bank, critics say it would sever the northern and southern parts of the territory, making it nearly impossible to establish a contiguous and viable Palestinian state. Palestinian officials and human rights groups have long warned that construction in E1 would deal a severe blow to the two-state solution.
The renewed push behind the project has been championed by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a far-right leader who holds broad authority over settlement policy. Smotrich has openly argued against Palestinian statehood and has described settlement expansion as a strategic tool to permanently block it.
When the government granted final planning approval for the E1 project last summer, Smotrich framed the decision in stark terms. He said that the idea of a Palestinian state was being removed “not with slogans but with actions,” adding that each new settlement and housing unit further undermines what he called a dangerous concept.
The latest tender follows a series of settlement-related approvals in recent months, including authorizations for additional housing in existing settlements and the formal recognition of new settlement sites across the West Bank. Together, these steps reflect a broader policy direction by the current Israeli government to expand its presence in the territory at an unprecedented pace.
Palestinian leaders have condemned the move, warning it will inflame tensions already heightened by ongoing violence in the West Bank. International reactions are also expected, with European governments and others likely to criticize the decision and renew calls for Israel to halt settlement expansion.
With the tender now issued, opponents of the E1 project say the focus will shift from diplomatic pressure to the physical realities on the ground. Once construction begins, they warn, reversing the project would become politically and practically far more difficult, with long-term consequences for the future shape of the region and prospects for peace.
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