Israel’s E1 Plan to 'Bury Palestinian State', Advances in West Bank
Israel’s far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has announced plans to approve over 3,000 housing units in the E1 settlement project in the occupied West Bank, a move explicitly intended to bury the Palestinian state.
The project, which would connect Jerusalem to the illegal Maale Adumim settlement, has been delayed for decades due to international opposition but is now progressing under Israel’s current government.
This development is as a deliberate effort to fragment Palestinian territory and undermine prospects for a contiguous state.
Strategic Land Grab in the West Bank
The E1 settlement plan, located between Jerusalem and Maale Adumim, is strategically positioned to sever the West Bank into northern and southern regions.
By creating a barrier that isolates East Jerusalem from major Palestinian cities like Bethlehem and Ramallah, the project would disrupt the territorial continuity needed for a viable Palestinian state.
The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has described the plan as a continuation of annexation and displacement strategies by Israel, aimed at solidifying an apartheid regime through the expansion of illegal settlements.
Alon Cohen-Lifshitz, an architect associated with Bimkom, an Israeli organization focused on human rights that unites planners and architects stated:
One of the quietest yet most chilling forms of Israeli violence is institutionalised planning violence.
International Condemnation and Local Impact
The E1 project has drawn sharp criticism for its potential to displace Palestinian communities and restrict their movement.
The plan includes rerouting Palestinian traffic away from key highways, forcing lengthy detours and isolating cities like Hebron and Bethlehem.
Local observers warn that the settlement will exacerbate restrictions on Palestinian access to historical sites and agricultural lands, with fears of increased settler violence during the upcoming olive harvest season.
Despite international warnings, Israel’s government remains committed to advancing what Smotrich calls a “sovereignty plan” to illegally cement control over the West Bank.