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The Israeli government approved a resettlement project in the Israeli-held West Bank that could destroy the prospects of a Palestinian state.
The separation wall next to the Arab neighborhood of Al-Eizariya, near where the Israeli government says housing units will be built as part of the E1 settlement development project. (IMAGE: AP PHOTO)
E1, a project to (re)settle Israeli in the occupied West Bank, has raised concerns that it could bring an end to any possibility of a two-state solution.
The project was initially frozen due to international pressure and remained so for more than two decades but the Israeli dispensation under Benjamin Netanyahu and his right-wing allies are now advancing the plan further.
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Israel will construct more than 3,400 housing units on a 12-km-stretch of land east of Jerusalem, and it will connect the large settlement of Ma’ale Adumim to the city.
What is the E1?
E1, which stands for East One, is one of the most sensitive areas of West Bank. Israelis and Palestinians both consider Jerusalem as their capital. The E1, once built across this corridor would separate Palestinian cities Ramallah and Bethlehem. The plan effectively divides the West Bank.
Analysts at Al-Shabaka, a Palestinian policy platform, based out of New York City, stress that the E1 plan would sever the only remaining passage between northern and southern West Bank, further isolate Palestinian neighborhoods in Jerusalem and limit access to holy sites—ultimately crippling the possibility of a contiguous Palestinian state.
A post on their website dated 2018 says the policy also displaces Bedouin communities, especially the Jahalin tribe, who have lived in the area since the 1950s.
The stretch of land between East Jerusalem and the settlement of Ma’ale Adumim holds major strategic importance, as it serves as one of the last remaining links connecting the Palestinian cities of Ramallah in the north with Bethlehem in the south. At present, Palestinians are forced to take a long detour through Israeli checkpoints, turning a short journey into one that can take hours.
The Palestinian Authority condemned the move, saying it was illegal and would “destroy” the prospects for a two-state solution.
The “E1 master plan” (Plan No. 420/4), first approved in 1999, covers nearly 1,200 hectares, much of which Israel declared as state land under what rights group B’Tselem described in 2012 as a “legally dubious procedure.” While the plan envisions residential neighbourhoods, it also sets aside space for commerce, tourism, services and government infrastructure, including a police headquarters that was completed in 2008.
B’Tselem has warned that moving ahead with the project would cut off access to privately owned Palestinian land in the area and further tighten restrictions on Palestinian movement between key West Bank cities.
The E1 plan was first advanced under former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin’s government in the mid-1990s, but it was formally approved for planning in 1999 under his successor Ehud Barak.
About the Author
Shankhyaneel Sarkar is a senior subeditor at News18. He covers international affairs, where he focuses on breaking news to in-depth analyses. He has over five years of experience during which he has covered sev…Read More
Shankhyaneel Sarkar is a senior subeditor at News18. He covers international affairs, where he focuses on breaking news to in-depth analyses. He has over five years of experience during which he has covered sev… Read More
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West Bank, Palestinian Territories
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