Ma'ale Adumim Municipality Challenges Legal Advisor's Halt on Housing Tender

The Ma'ale Adumim municipality has filed a petition with the High Court of Justice challenging the Attorney General's directive to postpone a tender for the construction of 1,234 housing units in the E1 area. The municipality argues that the Attorney General's intervention, which halted the tender until after the upcoming elections, constitutes an improper political interference. They contend that the decision to advance the construction plan was made long before the election period, with the political approval for the tender issued in December 2025 and the tender itself published in August. The municipality asserts that halting an already advanced process solely due to the election period is a political act that could allow a future government to alter established policy.

The E1 area, situated between Jerusalem and Ma'ale Adumim, has become a focal point of international pressure on Israel regarding settlement construction. The municipality emphasizes that submitting bids on the scheduled date of October 19, 2026, is a business event within an ongoing tender process, not a politically significant event that warrants postponement. They further claim the Attorney General's decision is not in accordance with existing law and therefore lacks authority.

Mayor Guy Yifrach stated that the city has waited decades for this construction and that young couples should not be held hostage by legal battles. The municipality is requesting the High Court to issue an order nisi, compelling the state to explain why the postponement decision should not be canceled and why the tender process should not proceed as originally scheduled. The core question before the court is whether a decision made legally well before an election can be halted specifically because of the election, pending the formation of a new government.