Israel advances settlement plan to upend two-state solution

The Israeli government has advanced an internationally condemned settlement plan in the occupied West Bank that could split the territory and “bury” the possibility of a two-state solution.

Israel’s Housing Ministry issued a notice inviting bids for the construction of more than 1,200 housing units in E1 near Jerusalem, which aims to create a continuous bloc of Jewish settlements from East Jerusalem to the West Bank. The settlement would divide the West Bank into north and south, making a contiguous Palestinian state impossible, while splitting East Jerusalem – viewed as the capital of such a state – from the rest of the territory.

The bids for construction are due one week before the Israeli elections at the end of October.

“This is a last-minute maneuver that is part of the scorched-earth policy the government is pursuing at the end of its term to secure long years of conflict and bloodshed for Israel,” said Peace Now, an Israeli settlement watchdog, in a statement Tuesday.

For years, Israel intentionally delayed any planning or construction in E1 because of heavy international criticism and pressure. But the current Israeli government under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has dramatically accelerated the approval of settlements in the West Bank, even as western countries have imposed sanctions on individuals linked with the settler movement. In May, a number of Western countries, including Canada, Australia and Germany, warned companies against taking part in the construction of West Bank settlements and E1 because of “legal and reputational consequences.”

In a joint statement on Thursday, the leaders of France, Germany, Italy and the UK reiterated that warning, saying, “At a time of grave instability in the West Bank with unprecedented levels of violence by settlers against civilians, and serious restrictions on the Palestinian economy, this decision is even more concerning.”

Israel gave final approval to the E1 plan last year, with far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich saying, “The Palestinian state is being erased from the table, not with slogans, but with actions.”

UK Foreign Secretary Ed Milliband called the decision to advance the plans an “unacceptable and destructive act.” Threatening sanctions and other measures in response, he said in a statement that “Britain will not stand back and accept the destruction of the two-state solution.” In response, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar fired back, saying on X on Thursday, “It is absurd for Britain to lecture the Jewish people about where they may live in their historic tiny homeland.”

All Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank are considered illegal under international law by most of the international community and the United Nations, but settlers have successfully established dozens of unauthorized outposts in recent years and eventually secured Israeli government approvals.

Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian ambassador to the United Nations, said Israel’s decision to move forward with the construction of E1 is “extremely dangerous, irresponsible, and threatening.” In an interview with CNN, he said emphatically, “This has to be stopped.”

The Egyptian government also slammed the new Israeli tenders and called on the international community to stop the plans. “Egypt expresses its complete rejection of attempts to entrench a policy of fait accompli through the illegal expansion of settlements and the change of the legal status and demographic makeup of occupied Palestinian territory, which undermines the chances of implementing the two-state solution,” said the Egyptian government in a statement.