Long simmering, the controversial E1 plan to "bury the idea of a Palestinian state" could soon become reality . Israeli far-right hawk Bezalel Smotrich relaunched the project, ensuring he has Benjamin Netanyahu and Donald Trump on his side : the goal is to build 3,400 housing units for settlers in the West Bank, dividing the PA-administered territory in two and isolating East Jerusalem .
A rush forward condemned by the Arab world and the EU. The E1 (East 1) corridor plan has been frozen for 20 years due to strong international opposition, because it would prevent the creation of a continuous Palestinian urban area connecting Ramallah, East Jerusalem, and Bethlehem.
Now, however, in view of a total occupation of Gaza, the annexation of the West Bank has once again become a hobbyhorse for the ultra-Orthodox . "Whoever today wants to recognize a Palestinian state will receive an answer from us on the ground: homes, neighborhoods, streets, and Jewish families building their lives," said Finance Minister Smotrich at a press conference from the Maale Adumim settlement, from which the expansion would begin.
"I call on Prime Minister Netanyahu to enforce Israeli sovereignty in Judea and Samaria, abandon the idea of dividing the country, and ensure that by September the hypocritical European leaders have nothing left to recognize ," thundered the leader of Religious Zionism, pointing the finger at countries like France that will recognize Palestine during the UN General Assembly.
The Palestinian Authority has strongly condemned this project and called for "international intervention and sanctions to halt its implementation." The Arab capitals Amman, Baghdad, and Doha have echoed this sentiment. Netanyahu's recent statements have also been targeted, saying he is "very attached" to the vision of a "Greater Israel": a territory that, in the biblical interpretation dating back to Solomon's reign, includes not only the Palestinian territories but also parts of Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria.
The EU Commission also reiterated its opposition to "any territorial modification that is not part of a political agreement between the parties concerned." The United States took the opposite view: according to the State Department, "a stable West Bank keeps Israel secure and is consistent with this administration's goal of peace in the region."
Israel's push to crush any hope of a future Palestinian state is already being felt in the Strip, where the IDF is preparing an offensive on Gaza City. Netanyahu has given the symbolic deadline of October 7th, creating a window to reopen talks with Hamas, but at the same time has made it clear that he will only accept an agreement that leads to the release of all hostages.
(Unioneonline)
