Bezalel Smotrich made an announcement that directly highlights the Israeli government’s intention to undermine the possibility of creating a Palestinian state. The resumption of the E1 settlement project is a strategy that connects Jewish settlement blocs and creates a territorial discontinuity between the north and south of the West Bank.
Smotrich’s declaration at the E1 site
Israeli far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced that work would start on a long-delayed settlement that would divide the West Bank and cut it off from East Jerusalem, a move his office said would “bury” the idea of a Palestinian state. The Palestinian government, allies, and campaign groups condemned the scheme, calling it illegal and saying the fragmentation of territory would rip up peace plans for the region.
Standing at the site of the planned settlement in Maale Adumim on Thursday, Smotrich, a settler himself, said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Donald Trump had agreed to the revival of the E1 development, though there was no immediate confirmation from either.
“Whoever in the world is trying to recognize a Palestinian state today will receive our answer on the ground. Not with documents nor with decisions or statements, but with facts. Facts of houses, facts of neighborhoods,” Smotrich said.
Smotrich’s decision is yet another example of his stance aligning with Israel’s ultranationalist wing, which has been pressuring the government to expand the Jewish presence in specific areas of the West Bank. The rhetoric used in the announcement, based on imposing “concrete facts” on the territory, demonstrates the strategy of consolidating irreversible advances, even under strong opposition.
International backlash and warnings
Asked about his remarks, a U.S. State Department spokesperson said: “A stable West Bank keeps Israel secure and is in line with this administration’s goal to achieve peace in the region,” and referred reporters to Israel’s government for further information.
The United Nations urged Israel to reverse its decision to start work on the settlement.
“It would put an end to prospects of a two-state solution,” U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told reporters. “Settlements go against international law … (and) further entrench the occupation.”
Reactions from allies and institutions
Concerns about the project’s legality are evident in the negative reactions that also highlight its impact on regional stability. European countries have previously warned that expansion into E1 undermines Israel’s credibility in future negotiations. Pressure is now likely to increase, especially given the ongoing war in Gaza and the growing willingness of Western nations to consider unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state.
Israel froze construction plans at Maale Adumim in 2012, and again after they were revived in 2020, amid objections from the U.S., European allies, and other powers who considered the project a threat to any future peace deal with the Palestinians.
Settlement expansion and Palestinian concerns
Palestinians fear the settlement building in the West Bank – which has sharply intensified since the 2023 Hamas attack on Israel that led to the Gaza war – will rob them of any chance to build a state of their own in the area.
In a statement headlined “Burying the idea of a Palestinian state,” Smotrich’s spokesperson said the minister had approved the plan to build 3,401 houses for Israeli settlers between an existing settlement in the West Bank and Jerusalem.
By insisting on building thousands of new housing units, the Israeli government is reinforcing the perception that it is consolidating an irreversible reality on the ground. For Palestinians, this measure is a threat to their national project, reinforcing a context of frustration and radicalization. It is a policy that fails to resolve Israel’s issue and ultimately increases its international isolation, as it reduces the chances of reaching a diplomatic resolution.
GCN.com/Reuters