Israel’s government has given the green light to revive the long-stalled E1 settlement project in the occupied West Bank—an initiative widely seen as a critical threat to the territorial continuity of any prospective Palestinian state. The project, which includes plans for approximately 3,400 new housing units adjacent to the Ma’ale Adumim settlement, would strategically bisect the West Bank and sever East Jerusalem from Palestinian population centers. Rights groups and international observers warn that such a move would deal a nearly fatal blow to the two-state solution.
The decision, formally approved by a Defense Ministry planning commission on August 20, 2025, was hailed by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich as more than geography—it was a statement. He asserted, “The Palestinian state is being erased from the table, not with slogans but with actions,” reflecting his far-right government’s clear intent to entrench Israeli sovereignty in the contested region.
International response has been swift and unified. The UN, United Kingdom, Germany, and other leading nations condemned the move as a breach of international law and a deliberate effort to undermine peace prospects. The UK went as far as summoning the Israeli ambassador in protest, while several Western countries signaled plans to recognize a Palestinian state at the upcoming UN General Assembly unless Israel reverses course.
Critics—including Palestinian authorities and peace advocacy groups like Peace Now—denounce the project as expansionist and colonial, warning it will deepen Palestinian isolation and fuel greater violence. Given the broader context of rising settler attacks and the Gaza conflict, the E1 approval signals a disturbing shift: Israel’s near-complete rollback of any meaningful two-state framework and a further hardening of the region’s political geography.
