The Israeli government advanced an internationally condemned settlement plan in the occupied West Bank that could split the territory and “bury” the possibility of a two-state solution.
Israel’s Housing Ministry issued a notice inviting bids for the construction of more than 1,200 housing units in E1 near Jerusalem, which aims to create a continuous bloc of Jewish settlements from East Jerusalem to the West Bank. The settlement would divide the West Bank into north and south, making a contiguous Palestinian state impossible, while splitting East Jerusalem – viewed as the capital of such a state – from the rest of the territory.
The bids for construction are due one week before the Israeli elections at the end of October.
“This is a last-minute maneuver that is part of the scorched-earth policy the government is pursuing at the end of its term to secure long years of conflict and bloodshed for Israel,” said Peace Now, an Israeli settlement watchdog, in a statement Tuesday.
For years, Israel intentionally delayed any planning or construction in E1 because of heavy international criticism and pressure. But the current Israeli government under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has dramatically accelerated the approval of settlements in the West Bank, even as western countries have imposed sanctions on individuals linked with the settler movement. In May, a number of Western countries, including Canada, Australia and Germany, warned companies against taking part in the construction of West Bank settlements and E1 because of “legal and reputational consequences.”
Israel gave final approval to the E1 plan last year, with far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich saying, “The Palestinian state is being erased from the table, not with slogans, but with actions.”
Credit: cnn.com
