US EditionIsrael Approves Massive E1 Settlement to Connect Ma'ale Adumim and Jerusalem
Finance Minister Smotrich approved construction of 3,401 housing units in the E1 area, a move critics say will block Palestinian statehood by dividing the West Bank.
- On August 14, 2025, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced approval for constructing 3,401 housing units in the E1 settlement area east of Jerusalem in the occupied West Bank.
- This announcement responds to planned recognition of a Palestinian state by Western countries and follows decades of frozen development amid international opposition.
- The plan aims to connect Maale Adumim settlement to Jerusalem, effectively dividing the West Bank and hindering the viability of a future Palestinian state, sparking widespread condemnation.
- Smotrich warned that any attempt by countries to acknowledge a Palestinian state would be met with a tangible response, stressing that actual developments on the ground, such as new housing and neighborhood expansion, will take precedence over formal declarations or statements.
- Although preliminary steps remain before final approval, construction-related groundwork is expected to start in the coming months; however, opponents caution this decision may extend the conflict and critically undermine the viability of a two-state solution.
104 Articles
104 Articles
Israel announced a project to build settlements in the occupied West Bank, which would thwart plans for a Palestinian state.
Israel wants to build thousands of new housing units in the area and to make it much more difficult for a future Palestinian state. Berlin is receiving sharp criticism.
Israel’s far-right finance minister vows settlement expansion
Israel’s far-right finance minister pushed for expanding Jewish settlements across the Palestinian territories, despite increasing international pushback. Bezalel Smotrich said Thursday that construction plans were approved for a West Bank project that “finally buries the idea of a Palestinian state,” days after he said Israel was “closer than ever” to reestablishing settlements in Gaza that were evacuated two decades ago. Much of the world cons…
Israel's far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich says he approves highly controversial plans to expand Ma'ale Adumim in the occupied West Bank. The EU says there could be "far-reaching consequences" if the plans are implemented and urges Israel not to proceed.
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