Maale Adumim Mayor Criticizes Gadi Eizenkot for Opposing E1 Construction Plans

Maale Adumim Mayor Guy Yifrah sharply criticized former IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eizenkot for opposing Israeli construction in the E1 area near Jerusalem. In an interview with Channel 7, Yifrah argued that even former Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and the Zionist left viewed building in E1 as a strategic necessity to secure Jerusalem's eastern entrance. He recalled Rabin’s visit to Maale Adumim after the peace treaty with Jordan, where Rabin emphasized the importance of rapid construction in E1 to maintain the city’s eastern gateway.

Yifrah noted that successive Israeli leaders, including Ehud Barak, Ariel Sharon, Ehud Olmert, and Benjamin Netanyahu, all supported development in the area. He said the main debate over the years was about timing and U.S. government positions, but now the current U.S. administration has not opposed the contractor tender for E1 construction, making the question of timing irrelevant. Yifrah expressed surprise at Eizenkot’s stance, describing it as left-wing and accusing him of politically harming Israel by opposing the project.

Yifrah also referenced the Geneva Accord, co-drafted by Yossi Beilin and Abdul Rabbo, which he called a poor agreement involving Israeli concessions on East Jerusalem and settlements, but noted that Beilin never gave up on Maale Adumim and the corridor to Jerusalem. He claimed Eizenkot’s position aligns him left of the Zionist left, effectively siding with Beilin’s approach.

When asked if Eizenkot’s opposition might only target E1 and not Maale Adumim itself, Yifrah dismissed this, saying the issue has long been about timing, and now that the U.S. supports construction, Eizenkot’s delay is inexplicable. He acknowledged Eizenkot’s Zionism and status as a bereaved father but remained skeptical about the sincerity of Eizenkot’s declared opposition to a Palestinian state, viewing it as a political tactic rather than genuine belief.