It had been frozen for over 20 years, under American pressure, precisely because of the irreversible consequences it could have on the"two peoples, two states" solution. But now the Israel government has decided to break the impasse and has definitively approved a illegal settlement project in the E1 area of the Occupied Territories that would effectively split the West Bank in two. Confirming that the ultimate goal is to eliminate any possibility of creating a State of Palestine are the words of Tel Aviv's Finance Minister, Bezalel Smotrich : it is, he said,"a significant step that practically erases the illusion of two states and consolidates the Jewish people's hold on the heart of the Land of Israel. The Palestinian state is being erased from the table not with slogans, but with facts. Every settlement, every neighborhood, every housing unit is another nail in the coffin of this dangerous idea." The European Union reacted immediately: "The Israeli authorities' decision to move forward with the E1 settlement plan further undermines the two-state solution and constitutes a violation of international law. The EU urges Israel to abandon this decision, underlining its profound implications and the need to consider measures to safeguard the viability of the two-state solution." Statements later reiterated by the United Kingdom, which condemned the approval of the plan:"If implemented, it would split the Palestinian state in two, would represent a flagrant violation of international law and would seriously undermine the two-state solution", declared the British Foreign Secretary David Lammy on his X.
profile.The government led by Benjamin Netanyahu, who has always opposed the creation of a Palestinian state on the border with Israel, has thus given the green light to the construction of a large new settlement in an open area east of Jerusalem, with the final approval of the Planning and Construction Committee, after the rejection of the latest petitions on August 6. If the process moves forward quickly, infrastructure work could begin in the coming months and housing construction could begin in about a year. This is a large-scale plan that envisages the construction of approximately 3,500 apartments to expand the settlement of Maale Adumim, Smotrich explained Thursday during a press conference on site. The minister then wanted to clarify that the executive's decision sends a message not only to the Palestinians, but also to Western countries that in recent weeks have announced their plans to recognize a State of Palestine.
The fact that Israel's colonial expansion project is located in the so-called E1 area, as mentioned, is crucial. It is, in fact, one of the last geographical connections between Ramallah, in the northern West Bank, and Bethlehem, in the south. The two cities are 22 kilometers apart as the crow flies, but Palestinians traveling between them must take a lengthy detour and pass through several Israeli checkpoints, adding hours to the journey.
Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi was the first to condemn the decision, accusing Israel of pursuing"illegal measures that continue to undermine the two-state solution and kill any prospect of peace in the region," expressing his hope of discussing "efforts to end the aggression on Gaza and the massacres and hunger it is causing." The Palestinian National Authority also protested, arguing that the plan transforms the West Bank into a"veritable prison." "This consolidates the division of the occupied West Bank into isolated and geographically disconnected areas and cantons," the PA noted,"similar to actual prisons, where movement between them is possible only through occupation checkpoints, in terror of the armed settler militias spread throughout the West Bank."
The Israeli organization Peace Now, which fights against the settlements and supports the two-state solution, also reacted harshly: the project, they declared,"seriously threatens the viability of a future Palestinian state" and "would lead Israel to become a binational state." Its sole purpose "is to sabotage any political solution for Gaza and the West Bank." "Under the pretext of war, Smotrich and his minority of messianic friends are creating an illusory settlement that we will have to abandon in the event of an agreement," the organization states, adding that billions of shekels could be wasted on the project's development."The entire purpose of the settlement in E1 is to sabotage a political solution and precipitate a state of binational apartheid."
