Netanyahu signs E1 settlement plan, vowing 'no Palestinian state'
Netanyahu signs E1 settlement plan, vowing 'no Palestinian state'
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu formally signed an agreement Thursday to advance the controversial E1 settlement expansion plan in the occupied West Bank, declaring unequivocally that "there will be no Palestinian state" and that "this place belongs to us".
The signing ceremony at the Ma'ale Adumim settlement, just east of Jerusalem, marked a pivotal moment as Netanyahu officially endorsed the long-stalled project that critics say will effectively sever the West Bank and eliminate prospects for a contiguous Palestinian state. The plan calls for constructing 3,400 new housing units on the sensitive 12-square-kilometer E1 tract of land, with Netanyahu promising to "double the city's population" to 70,000 residents within five years.
International Condemnation Mounts
The timing of Netanyahu's announcement carries particular significance, coming as multiple Western nations prepare to recognize Palestinian statehood at the ongoing UN General Assembly. Just hours before Netanyahu's ceremony, the European Parliament adopted a resolution calling on EU member states to "consider recognising the State of Palestine" by a vote of 305 in favor, 151 against, and 122 abstentions.
According to Reuters, France, Britain, Canada, Australia, and Belgium have all announced plans to recognize a Palestinian state during this month's UN General Assembly, though some have attached conditions. UN Secretary-General António Guterres has previously warned that the E1 project would pose an "existential threat" to a contiguous Palestinian state.
Strategic Geographic Impact
The E1 area sits at a crucial juncture between Jerusalem and the existing Ma'ale Adumim settlement, near routes connecting the northern and southern West Bank. Palestinians and international observers warn the development would complete a crescent of Israeli settlements around East Jerusalem, effectively dividing the occupied territory and isolating the proposed Palestinian capital from the rest of the West Bank.
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who approved the initial construction plans in August, stated the project is designed to "bury the idea of a Palestinian state". At Thursday's ceremony, Smotrich suggested Israel would soon celebrate the "application of sovereignty throughout Judea and Samaria," using the biblical name for the West Bank.
The total investment for the E1 project, including new roads and infrastructure upgrades, is estimated at nearly $1 billion. Israeli NGO Peace Now warned that infrastructure work could begin within months, calling the plan "deadly for the future of Israel and for any chance of achieving a peaceful two-state solution".
All Israeli settlements in the West Bank, occupied since 1967, are considered illegal under international law, a position supported by the International Court of Justice in its landmark ruling last year.