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Israel has granted final approval for the long-stalled E1 settlement plan, paving the way for the construction of about 3,400 housing units in the occupied West Bank, a move critics say could permanently derail prospects for a Palestinian state.
The Higher Planning Council of the Civil Administration, part of Israel’s Defense Ministry, authorized the project Tuesday. The planned construction would connect Jerusalem to the large settlement of Ma’ale Adumim, effectively severing the northern West Bank from the south and isolating East Jerusalem from surrounding Palestinian communities.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a far-right figure who also serves within the Defense Ministry, hailed the decision as a “historic moment.” He said the project “erases the illusion of two states” and strengthens “Jewish sovereignty in the heart of the Land of Israel.” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has avoided direct comment but has recently reaffirmed his opposition to a Palestinian state, pledging instead to entrench Israeli control over the territory.
Palestinian leaders and anti-settlement activists denounced the plan. The Palestinian Authority said it “completely undermines” a two-state solution. Peace Now, an Israeli advocacy group, warned the project’s costs could reach billions of shekels and said its sole purpose is to block a political resolution and entrench an apartheid-like reality.
International opposition quickly followed. Germany’s Foreign Ministry said the decision violates international law and obstructs negotiations toward a two-state solution. The plan had previously been frozen in 2012 and 2020 after strong objections from the United States and European governments.
Construction work could begin within months, according to Peace Now.
The approval comes as several Western nations weigh recognizing a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly in September, a response to both Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Gaza and the rapid expansion of settlements. Most of the international community considers settlements in the West Bank illegal, while Israel maintains they provide a security buffer and reflect its historical and biblical claims to the land.
With information from Protothema and Kathimerini Greece.
