Settlement plan revived shapes regional debate

Bezalel Smotrich revives a plan to expand settlements outside Jerusalem that would split the West Bank

Settlement push revives plan to bury Palestinian state

Israel’s finance minister Bezalel Smotrich has revived the long shelved E1 plan to expand the Ma’ale Adumim settlement outside Jerusalem. The package would add about 3,000 housing units between Jerusalem and the Dead Sea and would place new housing in a corridor that could separate Bethlehem and Ramallah from the rest of the West Bank. Critics say the project would physically divide the territory and undermine prospects for a two state solution. The plan has faced international opposition for years.

Smotrich pledged to fast track the approvals, a move aligned with other steps the current government has taken to push settlement activity. Defence minister Israel Katz announced 22 new settlements in May, arguing the moves would prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state. Peace Now warned that rushing through key meetings could backfire. Several governments have signalled they may recognise a Palestinian state in September, raising the pressure on Israel as it presses ahead on the ground.

The move signals a shift from diplomacy to on the ground policy. It hardens the geography of the conflict and narrows room for a two state outcome. It also tests international responses at a moment when security and sovereignty arguments sit beside questions of legality and human impact. If this becomes routine, it could close the window for negotiations faster than many expect and deepen regional tensions.

Highlights

The coming months will test whether settlements or diplomacy holds the path to peace.