E1 plan passes planning board

A planning committee approved a controversial E1 project that would effectively divide the West Bank by linking Jerusalem to Maale Adumim and tightening control over movement.

Israel advances E1 plan splitting the West Bank

The Higher Planning Committee of the Civil Administration under the Defense Ministry approved the E1 plan to build 3,400 housing units in a 4.6 square mile corridor that would separate Jerusalem from the settlement of Maale Adumim. The area sits in Area C, granting Israel full civil and security authority and potentially restricting Palestinian movement.

Palestinians and many Western governments criticized the move. The Palestinian Foreign Ministry said the plan undermines the two-state solution and fragments Palestinian geography. Bedouin communities near Maale Adumim reported demolition notices and orders to vacate. Britain, France and Germany urged restraint and warned the plan could breach international law and threaten peace talks. The White House declined to comment, while a U.S. ambassador signaled it would not block Israeli actions.

Analysts say the move signals a shift toward cementing facts on the ground. If carried out, it could complicate future negotiations and reshape the geography and mobility of West Bank cities. The E1 corridor has long been seen as a bottleneck for any viable two-state arrangement, and its development would likely provoke international scrutiny and strategic recalibration by allies.

For Palestinians, the plan tests international support for a two-state framework and raises questions about governance, displacement and rights. For Israeli policymakers, it reflects a willingness to press settlement expansion even as global diplomacy pressures a path to peace. The episode underscores how settlement politics can influence regional stability and provoke diplomatic friction across major capitals.

Highlights

Peace requires navigating both ground realities and diplomatic realities.