03 / 10
Four countries oppose 1,234 E1 settlement homes
Four European governments want Israel to withdraw a tender they say would damage prospects for Palestinian statehood.
What happened
France, Germany, Italy and the UK called on Israel to withdraw construction tenders for the E1 settlement project, east of Jerusalem near Ma'ale Adumim. The tender covers 1,234 homes in the occupied West Bank. The four governments stated the development would further weaken prospects for peace and a two-state solution.
Numbers
- 1,234 homesIncluded in the new tender — For the E1 project
- 4 governmentsIssued the joint demand — France, Germany, Italy and UK
- 3,401 homesApproved for E1 last year — The tender covers nearly half
Questions
- What do the tenders do?
- They invite businesses to submit bids for housing construction, moving the project from approved plans toward selecting builders.
- Why does E1’s location matter?
- It lies between Jerusalem and Ma'ale Adumim; European governments and Palestinians stated building there would split the West Bank and isolate East Jerusalem.
- What risk did Europe flag for bidders?
- The four governments stated companies could face legal and reputational consequences from involvement in what they called serious international-law breaches.
- How do governments view settlement law?
- They stated the project breaches international law; the coverage gives no Israeli government legal response to that position.
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
The catch
The coverage does not include an Israeli government response or show whether any company will bid.
The tender has been published.