Israel Revives Tainted Settlement Expansion
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has revived an age-old controversial settlement scheme in the occupied West Bank, vowing to proceed regardless of global criticism. Addressing an excursion to the Maale Adumim settlement on Thursday, Netanyahu asserted that “there will never be a Palestinian state,” while saying thousands of new homes.
The proposal, commonly referred to as the E1 project, would slice across Palestinian land and essentially isolate the West Bank from East Jerusalem, territory Palestinians dream of as the capital of their emerging state. Netanyahu positioned the action as necessary for “preserving our heritage, our land, and our security.”
Frozen Project Revival
Initially shelved in 2012 and once more in 2020 under pressure from the United States and the European governments, the E1 project has been revived now with the support of nationalist members of Netanyahu’s ruling coalition. Far-right supporter and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich reiterated in August that the concept of a Palestinian state is being “removed from the table” through action and not statements.
The Defense Ministry planning commission approved the project in its final form last month, paving the way for new housing development, improved roads, and large-scale works of infrastructure estimated to cost close to US$1 billion.
ALSO READ: Ethnic Cleansing or Security Strategy? US Senators Claim Gaza Crisis Is No Accident
Diplomatic Fallout
The news follows only days after Israel tried to assassinate Hamas leaders in Qatar and once again strained relations with its allies. A number of Western governments have become increasingly exasperated with Israel’s war in Gaza and are considering officially recognising Palestinian statehood in the United Nations General Assembly later this month.
The expansion of the settlement threatens to further isolate Israel, with Western capitals and human rights organizations warning that it will be a lethal blow to the two-state solution. That solution imagines Israel living alongside an independent Palestinian state including East Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Gaza.
The majority of the world regards Israeli settlements in the West Bank as illegal under international law, which Israel still refuses to accept. By proceeding with the E1 project, Netanyahu has not only set the tone of defiance against international opinion but also put Palestinian statehood firmly in his sights, paving the way for further diplomatic tensions in the coming weeks.
