Legal Maneuver Delays E1 Housing Tender Decision Until After Elections

The legal battle over construction in the E1 area has escalated as Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara will permit the submission of bids for a tender to build over a thousand housing units. However, the bids will not be opened until after the elections scheduled for October 27. This means the bidding process will occur before the elections, but the final decision and the identity of the winning bidder will be determined afterward.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich fiercely criticized the Attorney General's decision, alleging it was designed to prevent the completion of the tender during the current government's term. "The Attorney General's maneuver, in league with [former National Security Advisor Tzachi] Hanegbi's opposition to strategic construction in E1 which would prevent the establishment of a Palestinian terror state, is transparent. It has only one goal: to create a situation where the tender does not conclude during our term, the left comes to power, and cancels the construction," Smotrich stated.

Smotrich further asserted that, from his perspective, the tender should be fully completed on its originally scheduled date, including the announcement of the winner and the commencement of construction. "From the Attorney General's perspective, as long as the envelopes are not opened, the bids are not examined, and the winner is not announced, the tender can be stopped. I am not prepared for that. The tender must be opened and closed, along with the announcement of the winner and the start of construction, on its predetermined date," he added.