Court Asked to Freeze Controversial E1 Housing Project Near Jerusalem Amid Legal Challenges

On January 13, 2026, petitioners filed an urgent request at the Jerusalem District Court to halt the first tender for the E1 construction plan, which was published this week for building 1,234 housing units. The petitioners demand a freeze on this tender and any further tenders or advancement of the plan until the court rules on three consolidated petitions against the project. These petitions were submitted by the organization Ir Amim, Planning and Human Rights groups, Peace Now, and Palestinian residents from the area, with additional petitions filed by other Palestinians.

The petitioners argue that circumstances have significantly changed since the court previously rejected interim injunctions, as the tender has now been published and is open for bids, contrary to prior commitments to notify them beforehand. They warn that proceeding with the tender during ongoing legal proceedings and before the state submits its response could create irreversible facts on the ground and undermine effective relief if the petitions succeed.

The E1 plan is one of the most politically sensitive construction projects, involving thousands of housing units between Jerusalem and Maale Adumim. Its advancement has been delayed for years due to international opposition and concerns that it would disrupt Palestinian territorial continuity between the northern and southern West Bank, threatening the viability of a future Palestinian state. Conversely, right-wing Israeli factions view the plan as a strategic move to connect Maale Adumim to Jerusalem. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has previously stated that advancing the plan "finally buries the idea of a Palestinian state."