Court Allows E1 Construction Tender to Proceed Amid Legal Challenges

The Jerusalem District Court has rejected a request to halt the construction tender for 1,234 housing units in the E1 area, located between Jerusalem and Ma'ale Adumim. The court ruled that there is no justification to freeze the tender process at this stage, allowing marketing and subsequent construction to continue as planned. The decision means that the tender, part of the "Mevaseret Adumim" plan, will proceed without interruption while legal challenges against the overall plan are decided later.

The court found no change in circumstances since previous interim orders were denied, stating that the balance of convenience favors the state and the Ma'ale Adumim municipality. It noted that significant time will still pass before the tender is fully realized, including bid submissions, evaluations, winner announcements, and licensing procedures, thus preventing an irreversible situation at this point.

Ma'ale Adumim Mayor Guy Yifrach welcomed the ruling, calling it a step forward for the project after decades of delays. He expressed confidence that the E1 area will be built, connecting Ma'ale Adumim to Jerusalem and anticipating developers to build the planned housing. The petitioners were ordered to pay 2,500 shekels in expenses to both the state and the municipality.