Israel Advances E1 Settlement Project Days Before Election

Israel's Ministry of Construction and Housing announced last week a new tender for the construction of 2,167 settlement units in the E1 area, situated between Jerusalem and the Ma'ale Adumim settlement. The tender is scheduled to open on October 25, just two days before Israeli elections, and will close on December 21. These units, along with 1,234 units tendered in August, complete the plan for 3,401 approved settlement units in E1.

Concurrently, a new tender has been set for a commercial and industrial zone in the same area, spanning approximately 1,355 dunams east of the town of Anata. Bids for this zone will open on November 2, closing on January 4, 2027. The original E1 plan included 3,401 housing units.

In August, Israeli authorities unexpectedly issued a separate tender for 1,234 units, deviating from a prior commitment to notify objectors in advance. Objectors petitioned the Jerusalem District Court to freeze the tender, but the court rejected the request on September 8. The main petitions against the project are still pending, with the state required to respond by September 24.

The Israeli anti-settlement organization Ir Amim warned of the implications, stating that opening the tender for the remaining 2,167 units so close to the election signifies the government's intent to advance the entire E1 project. The organization highlighted that the project, combined with the commercial zone, would geographically link Ma'ale Adumim and Jerusalem, further fragmenting Palestinian territory. Ir Amim added that the timing and rapid pace of these moves reflect the government's determination to establish irreversible facts on the ground.