Last hurdle cleared to start controversial settlement project near Jerusalem

Israel has cleared the final hurdle before starting construction on a contentious settlement project near Jerusalem that both critics and proponents of the plan say would effectively divide the West Bank, according to a government tender. The tender, which seeks bids from developers, would clear the way to begin construction of the E1 project. The anti-settlement monitoring group Peace Now first reported the tender. Yoni Mizrahi, who runs the group’s settlement watch division, said initial work could begin within the month.     

“In an alarming display of political recklessness, the Israeli government continues to undermine any prospect for a political solution and a better future for both Israelis and Palestinians,” Peace Now said in a Monday statement. “Construction in E1 is intended to create irreversible facts on the ground leading to a one-state reality. Settlement development in E1, an open tract of land east of Jerusalem, has been under consideration for more than two decades, but was frozen due to US pressure during previous administrations.    

The Palestinians and much of the international community hold Israeli settlements to be illegal and argue that they harm the chances of the Palestinians establishing a viable state in the West Bank. The E1 project is especially contentious because it runs from the outskirts of Jerusalem deep into the West Bank. Critics say it would prevent the establishment of a contiguous Palestinian state in the territory.  Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a far-right politician who oversees settlement policy, has long pushed for the plan to become a reality.  (Ed note: Remember while reading this article that the Times of Israel is a very liberal newspaper.)  (Read More)