Israel's Legal Advisor Delays E1 Housing Tender Until After Elections

The legal advisor to the Israeli government has instructed a one-month delay of a tender for over a thousand new housing units in the E1 area, pushing the deadline for bids until after the upcoming Knesset elections. The decision, according to the legal advisor's office, aims to prevent the tender from being used for prohibited political propaganda due to the area's unique public, political, and international sensitivity.

The legal advisor's opinion stated that the tender's proximity to the elections necessitated adherence to principles of restraint and moderation applicable during election periods. However, the municipality of Ma'ale Adumim and its mayor, Guy Yifrah, strongly criticized this directive.

Mayor Yifrah argued that the political approval for the tender was granted months before the election period, and the process had since moved through normal professional channels. He asserted that delaying the tender now constitutes a significant political intervention, rather than preventing it. Yifrah questioned why construction in Ma'ale Adumim would be considered a partisan issue and expressed concern that such decisions erode public trust in the legal advisor's office.

He further highlighted that E1 already faces considerable international pressure, and developers require certainty. The mayor stated that the municipality will petition against the decision and use all legal means to ensure the tender proceeds, emphasizing that residents have waited over 30 years for development in E1 and will not give up on building homes there.