Israel's Attorney General Halts Controversial E1 Housing Tender Until After Elections

Israel's Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara has postponed the tender deadline for a controversial housing project in the E1 area between Jerusalem and Ma'ale Adumim by one month. The decision means the next stage of the process will occur after the October 27 elections. The municipality of Ma'ale Adumim announced its intention to legally challenge the decision.

According to the Attorney General's legal opinion, the E1 project's significant public, political, and international sensitivity, combined with the proximity of the tender's deadline and winner selection to the elections, justifies restricting the process during the electoral period. This aligns with standard practices for such sensitive matters during elections.

Ma'ale Adumim Mayor Guy Yifrach strongly criticized the decision, calling it "political" rather than legal and an "unprecedented absurdity." He accused the Attorney General of undermining trust in the legal advisory institution. Yifrach argued that blocking an already published tender constitutes political interference, emphasizing that the decision to build in E1 was made a year ago and the administrative process has been proceeding normally.

The municipality filed a legal request before the official announcement, presenting comparative data to show the project's timeline is standard for its scale and unrelated to the election context. Yifrach also cited a law limiting the Attorney General's power to issue direct instructions to professional bodies, asserting her order to the Ministry of Construction to withdraw tender work from the site exceeded her authority.

The request also highlighted a financial stake for Ma'ale Adumim. Any delay in construction could cause the city to lose an 8 million shekel budget bonus intended to encourage housing development, as the government had allocated a housing prime for 2026. Construction in the E1 zone, which connects Jerusalem to Ma'ale Adumim, faces international condemnation, with many nations stating it would geographically impede the creation of a Palestinian state.