Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced the revival of a long-stalled settlement project in Maale Adumim that would divide the West Bank from East Jerusalem, declaring it would “bury” the prospect of a Palestinian state.
Standing at the site on Thursday, Smotrich claimed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Donald Trump backed the E1 development, though neither has confirmed. The plan calls for 3,401 housing units linking Maale Adumim to Jerusalem, a move Palestinians and rights groups say will destroy any chance of a two-state solution.
Settlement construction in the area was frozen in 2012 and again in 2020 following opposition from the U.S. and European allies. Critics, including Israel’s Breaking the Silence and Peace Now, warned the project will further fragment Palestinian territory and entrench what they called an apartheid system.
The Palestinian Authority urged U.S. intervention, while Qatar, Norway, and other countries condemned the move as a violation of international law. Most of the global community considers Israeli settlements illegal, a view Israel rejects.
If approved by Israel’s High Planning Council, infrastructure work could begin within months, with house construction starting in about a year. About 700,000 Israeli settlers currently live among 2.7 million Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.