TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) – On Wednesday, Israel granted final approval for a controversial settlement project in the occupied West Bank, a move that critics argue could sever the territory in two and jeopardize the future of a Palestinian state. This project, located in the E1 area east of Jerusalem, has been under discussion for over two decades but faced delays due to U.S. diplomatic pressure in past administrations. The international community widely regards Israeli settlement construction in the West Bank as illegal and a significant barrier to peace.
The approval has been touted by far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a former settler leader, as a defiance against Western nations that have recently expressed intentions to recognize a Palestinian state. "The Palestinian state is being erased from the table not with slogans but with actions," Smotrich stated on Wednesday. He emphasized that each settlement and housing unit represents a step away from the concept of a Palestinian state.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has consistently rejected the notion of a Palestinian state existing alongside Israel. He insists on maintaining indefinite control over the occupied West Bank, annexed East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip – territories seized by Israel during the 1967 war, which Palestinians claim for their future state.
The expansion of Israeli settlements is contributing to an increasingly dire situation for Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, especially as international attention shifts towards the ongoing war in Gaza. There has been a noticeable rise in violent incidents involving settlers attacking Palestinians, evictions from Palestinian areas, heightened Israeli military operations, impenetrable checkpoints affecting mobility, and retaliatory Palestinian attacks on Israelis. Currently, over 700,000 Israeli settlers reside in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
The geographical significance of E1 is notable, as it serves as one of the last connections between the major West Bank cities of Ramallah to the north and Bethlehem to the south. Though only 22 kilometers (14 miles) apart, Palestinians must navigate an extensive detour filled with multiple Israeli checkpoints, often resulting in hours of travel. The prospect was that, in a future Palestinian state, this area would provide a direct link between the two cities.
"The settlement in E1 has no purpose other than to sabotage a political solution," stated Peace Now, an organization monitoring settlement growth in the West Bank. They criticized the current government, saying, "While the consensus among our friends in the world is to strive for peace and a two-state solution, a government that long ago lost the people’s trust is undermining the national interest, and we are all paying the price."
When asked about the situation in E1, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee remarked that discussions around a two-state solution were not a "high priority" for the Trump administration, citing a lack of clarity regarding the nature of a future Palestinian state. As of now, the State Department has not provided direct comments on the issue.
If the plans proceed without obstruction, infrastructure development in E1 might commence within months, with residential construction potentially beginning in about a year. The approved plan includes the construction of approximately 3,500 apartments adjacent to the existing Maale Adumim settlement. Smotrich also highlighted the endorsement of 350 homes in the Ashael settlement near Hebron during the same meeting.
Although Israel may theoretically dismantle the settlement in the future, as seen with the Gaza disengagement in 2005, such an outcome seems highly unlikely given the robust support for settlements from both the current government and certain opposition parties. Israel's government is largely composed of religious and ultranationalist politicians, like Smotrich, who maintain strong ties to the settlement movement. The finance minister has been granted significant Cabinet-level powers over settlement policies, openly expressing a commitment to double the settler population in the West Bank.