E1 plan draws global reaction

Global condemnation follows Smotrichs move to resume E1 settlement construction and test prospects for a Palestinian state.

Global backlash over E1 plan sabotages two state solution

The move to resume tenders for more than 3,000 homes in the E1 area between Jerusalem and Ma’ale Adumim drew swift condemnation from the United Nations, the European Union and several Arab states. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said the plan to connect Jerusalem and Ma’ale Adumim would be implemented next week by the government’s Higher Planning Council and would effectively end the possibility of a contiguous Palestinian state. The plan would link Jerusalem and Ma’ale Adumim and is scheduled to receive final approval on August 20. Smotrich added that Prime Minister Netanyahu backs the measure as a response to Western moves toward recognizing a Palestinian state.

The move sparked immediate international reaction. The United Nations said settlements breach international law and would undermine chances for a two-state solution. The EU described the plan as a breach of international law that harms a two-state outcome. Britain’s foreign minister also denounced the plan as a violation of international law and urged it to be stopped. Norway, Egypt, and Qatar joined in denouncing the move, and Palestinian officials asked the United States to pressure Israel. Rights groups inside Israel warned the measure would damage the country’s future and push a peace process further out of reach. The United States issued a cautious statement stressing stability in the West Bank, while keeping its focus on Gaza and hostage relief.

This is a turning point where domestic politics and a long-running conflict collide. The E1 plan signals that settlement expansion could become a routine tool, testing the limits of diplomacy at a moment when Western capitals debate Palestinian statehood. The move could redraw the map on the ground in ways that complicate any future peace talks.

For Palestinians and their supporters, the step threatens to fracture the West Bank and erase the geography needed for a viable state. For Israel, the policy may secure strategic aims in the short term but risks long-term diplomatic costs and erodes international legitimacy. The episode will force the United States and Europe to balance stability with adherence to international law and to push for a credible peace path in a tense regional moment.

Highlights

Diplomats will watch closely as the Higher Planning Council meets and as reactions from Washington and European capitals unfold.