E1 Project History and International Legal Concerns Over New Israeli Settlements

NEW DELHI, September 16 – The E1 settlement scheme, often called “East 1,” has its roots in the early 1990s. Initiated under Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir in 1991 and later expanded by Yitzhak Rabin in 1994, the plan aimed to create a sizeable Israeli residential bloc linking Jerusalem to Maale Adumim.

Despite its long‑standing presence in policy documents, the project has faced continuous international push‑back. The United Nations and most legal scholars consider any settlement activity in the occupied West Bank to contravene the Fourth Geneva Convention.

Israel rejects this legal interpretation, referring to the territory as Judea and Samaria and asserting historic and security claims.

The UN Human Rights Office previously described the E1 initiative as a “serious, illegal step” that would tighten Israeli control over occupied land, while the UN Secretary‑General warned that the construction flouts UN resolutions and undermines the two‑state solution.

In 2004, Israel began limited groundwork in E1, constructing roads and a police headquarters, yet the massive housing component remained on hold due to diplomatic pressure. Subsequent attempts to revive the scheme have been met with renewed criticism from the EU, the United States, and human‑rights organisations.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who also oversees settlement matters in the defence ministry, has consistently framed the plan as a means to block the formation of a Palestinian state, stating that its approval would “nullify the idea of a Palestinian state.”

The most recent tender, released in August, calls for bids to build 1,234 residential units, with a total projected capacity of about 3,400 homes once the full plan materialises.

The deadline for proposals is October 19, a date that falls just eight days before Israel’s scheduled parliamentary elections, raising concerns that political calculations may be influencing the timing of the tender.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen reiterated Europe’s responsibility to keep the two‑state solution alive, branding the E1 tender “unacceptable” during a speech to EU lawmakers in Strasbourg.

As the international community watches, the E1 project remains a flashpoint that highlights the clash between Israeli settlement policy and widely‑accepted interpretations of international law.