E1 Development Hailed as Government's Top Strategic Achievement

While the outgoing Israeli government's actions against Iran, Hezbollah, and Hamas are significant, its strategic masterstroke may be the advancement of the E1 area, according to attorney Michael Shafferber. He argues that the approval of 3,401 housing units is less important than the shift in perception regarding the future of the land between Jerusalem and Ma'ale Adumim. Shafferber contends that the government's tenure has reshaped the Middle East, weakening adversaries and solidifying Israel's regional power. However, the E1 development, where no shots were fired, represents a crucial strategic move.

For decades, Israeli governments avoided making decisions about E1 due to intense international pressure, recognizing its critical role in the geopolitical landscape. Control of this area strengthens Jerusalem's eastern flank and disrupts the territorial contiguity necessary for a Palestinian state with its capital in East Jerusalem. This has historically led to E1's stagnation, not due to a lack of housing or development plans, but because of its strategic importance.

The article highlights an "absurd" situation where right-wing governments, elected on platforms opposing a Palestinian state, nonetheless preserved the map that would enable one. E1, Shafferber asserts, marks the beginning of closing that door. This move is seen as more significant than a typical settlement achievement, especially in the wake of the October 7th attacks, which shattered the assumption that strong defenses alone could prevent threats.

Shafferber posits that Israel must now actively prevent the establishment of a hostile entity in Judea and Samaria that could threaten Jerusalem, the Gush Dan area, and Ben Gurion Airport. The international outcry from countries like the UK, France, Germany, and Canada over E1 is not mere background noise but validation of its significance, as they understand it impacts Palestinian contiguity and the two-state solution.

This strategic shift, moving from containment to actively shaping the space and asserting sovereignty, is presented as a proactive measure to prevent future conflicts, unlike responses to existing threats. The author stresses that E1 should be the start of a broader national policy, integrating areas like E2 and infrastructure to connect Judea and Samaria to Israel, thereby creating facts on the ground that withstand international pressure and government changes. The core achievement, he concludes, is Israel beginning to deny space for a potential "terror state" in the heart of the country, a necessary lesson learned from the costly experience of October 7th.