Israel’s Smotrich Launches Settlements to ‘Bury’ Palestinian State Idea/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has revived the E1 settlement project, aiming to link Maale Adumim with Jerusalem. Palestinians and global allies warn it will fragment territory and end hopes for a two-state solution. The plan faces widespread condemnation from the EU, Norway, and human rights groups.
Quick Look
- Who: Bezalel Smotrich, Benjamin Netanyahu, Donald Trump
- What: Approval of 3,401 homes in the West Bank’s E1 corridor
- Where: Maale Adumim, between Jerusalem and the West Bank
- Why It Matters: Could permanently block Palestinian access to East Jerusalem
- Reactions: Condemned by EU, Norway, rights groups; Palestinians urge U.S. intervention
- Timeline: Infrastructure work possible within months; homes in about a year
Israel’s Smotrich Revives Controversial West Bank Settlement Plan, Says It Will ‘Bury’ Palestinian Statehood
MAALE ADUMIM, West Bank / TEL AVIV, Aug. 14, 2025 — Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced the revival of a long-delayed settlement project in the occupied West Bank that critics say would split Palestinian territory and effectively end prospects for a two-state solution.
The plan, known as the E1 project, calls for building 3,401 homes to connect the settlement of Maale Adumim with Jerusalem — a move Palestinians, human rights groups, and much of the international community consider illegal under international law.
Smotrich Claims Backing from Netanyahu and Trump
Standing on the planned construction site Thursday, Smotrich, a far-right settler leader, declared that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Donald Trump had agreed to move the project forward. Neither Netanyahu nor Trump’s office immediately confirmed the claim.
“Whoever in the world is trying to recognise a Palestinian state today will receive our answer on the ground,” Smotrich said. “Not with documents nor statements, but with facts — facts of houses and neighbourhoods.”
Frozen for Over a Decade Amid Global Pushback
Israel first froze the E1 development in 2012 and again in 2020 after pushback from the United States, the European Union, and other allies who warned it would destroy the territorial contiguity needed for a viable Palestinian state.
The new push comes amid already heightened tensions, with settlement construction surging in the West Bank since the 2023 Hamas attack that triggered the ongoing Gaza war.
Palestinians and Allies Condemn the Plan
The EU reiterated that “annexation of territory is illegal under international law,” while Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide accused Israel of seeking to “appropriate land owned by Palestinians in order to prevent a two-state solution.”
Rights group Breaking the Silence warned the move would “further entrench apartheid,” while Peace Now called the plan “deadly for the future of Israel and any chance of peace.”
International Isolation Risk
The project risks deepening Israel’s rift with Western allies, some of which have already condemned its Gaza military campaign and are considering unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state.
Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand imposed sanctions in June on Smotrich and another far-right minister for “repeatedly inciting violence” against Palestinians in the West Bank.
What the E1 Project Means on the Ground
- Location: E1 is a strategic corridor between Maale Adumim and East Jerusalem.
- Impact: Would physically split the northern and southern West Bank, cutting off access to East Jerusalem for Palestinians.
- Timeline: Infrastructure work could begin within months, with home construction possible in about a year if approvals hold.
The Bigger Picture: Settlements and the Two-State Solution
- Around 700,000 Israeli settlers live among 2.7 million Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
- Israel annexed East Jerusalem in 1967 — a move not internationally recognised — but has not formally annexed the West Bank.
- The UN and most countries say settlements violate the Fourth Geneva Convention.
- Israel disputes this, calling the West Bank “disputed” rather than “occupied” and citing biblical and historical ties to the land.
Palestinian Concerns Intensify
With Gaza’s death toll surpassing 61,000, according to local health authorities, Palestinians fear the E1 project signals a permanent shift toward annexation and displacement.
“The E1 plan is not just concrete and roads,” said Peace Now in its statement. “It is the erasure of the possibility for a Palestinian capital in East Jerusalem and the burial of the two-state vision.”
Key Takeaway:
If implemented, Smotrich’s E1 settlement plan would represent one of the most consequential expansions of Israeli settlements in decades, drawing strong opposition from Palestinians, human rights groups, and much of the global community — and potentially reshaping the political geography of the West Bank for generations.
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