E1 plan moves forward burying Palestinian state idea

Editorial analysis of Israel moving forward with 3,000 plus homes in the E1 corridor and its implications for the West Bank and Palestinian state prospects.

E1 housing plan approved burying Palestinian state idea in West Bank

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said on Wednesday that tenders will be issued for more than 3,000 housing units in the E1 zone between Jerusalem and Ma’ale Adumim in the West Bank. He framed the move as support from Prime Minister Netanyahu and argued it connects Ma’ale Adumim to Jerusalem, a step supporters say strengthens Israeli sovereignty. The plan has long been frozen due to international opposition that it would sever Palestinian contiguity between East Jerusalem and the rest of the West Bank. The announcement comes as part of a broader push Smotrich describes as implementing a sovereignty framework after years of pressure.

Reactions were mixed. Peace Now highlighted that the approved plans cover a large new neighborhood rather than the original E1 proposal, noting the development would add about 3,300 housing units, a 33 percent expansion for the settlement. Local backers including Ma’ale Adumim’s mayor and the Yesha Council praised the move as a historic achievement and a test of political will. The plan surfaces amid Western dialogue about recognizing a Palestinian state at the United Nations next month. Smotrich credited Trump and Huckabee for backing the effort and said Netanyahu supports the step, while the prime minister has offered no detailed comment on the plan.

The move signals a sharper turn in settlement policy and a willingness to press forward despite caution from international partners. By linking Ma’ale Adumim to Jerusalem, the government makes contiguity for a future Palestinian state harder to achieve and raises the political cost of negotiations. It also heightens domestic tensions over the limits of extant diplomacy and the balance between security concerns and rapid settlement growth. The decision intersects with ongoing projects such as the Fabric of Life bypass road and thus reflects a broader strategy to extend Israeli presence beyond the Green Line while framing it as a legal and historical reassertion of control.

Highlights

The coming months will test how far diplomacy and domestic politics can bend to the pace of on the ground changes.