Multiple Israeli flags with blue stars of David and stripes are waving outdoors. Image Credit: Pixabay.com Multiple Israeli flags with blue stars of David and stripes are waving outdoors. Image Credit: Pixabay
(The Post News)- The E1 settlement was condemned by Britain, France, and 19 other countries after Israel approved a major West Bank project on Wednesday. The approximately 12-square-kilometer E1 area, located just east of Jerusalem, has drawn international criticism, with foreign ministers calling the plan “impermissible” and unlawful under international law and urging its immediate reversal.
International Response to E1 Settlement
In response to the E1 settlement by Israel, the foreign ministers condemned this decision and demanded its immediate reversal in the strongest terms.
The signatories included Australia, Canada, and Italy, as well as Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden, all of which condemned the E1 settlement.
Significantly, the statement noted that Israel’s far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich admitted the plan would undermine a two-state solution by splitting any Palestinian state and limiting Palestinians’ ability to reach Jerusalem, and it condemned the E1 settlement as a serious threat to the viability of a future Palestinian state and to prospects for peace.
Israel E1 settlement condemned
Moreover, the foreign ministers declared that this action does not benefit the Israeli people. They stressed, “Instead, it poses a risk to security and encourages more violence and instability, distancing us from peace. The Israeli government still has a chance to halt the E1 plan. We urge them to swiftly withdraw it.”
Accordingly, the plan seeks to build around 3,400 homes on the ultra-sensitive tract of land between Jerusalem and the Israeli settlement of Maale Adumim, known as the E1 settlement project. Under international law, all of Israel’s settlements in the West Bank, under Israeli control since 1967, remain unlawful, whether or not Israel granted planning permission.
Meanwhile, the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority (PA) strongly condemned the move, and UN chief Antonio Guterres and Philippe Lazzarini, head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, also denounced the E1 settlement project.
E1 Settlement Global Backlash
In particular, Lazzarini warned that the E1 settlement development would “fully isolate the northern and central West Bank from the southern West Bank, breaking territorial connection.”
He said Israel was making decisions that render the establishment of two states “gradually unreachable.”
The E1 tract, situated between East Jerusalem and the Israeli settlement of Maale Adumim, is often described as the “gateway” to Jerusalem for Palestinians. Its development would not only sever territorial continuity but also limit Palestinian access to East Jerusalem, their political and cultural hub. For this reason, the E1 settlement has been repeatedly condemned by the international community, which views it as a direct threat to any viable Palestinian state.
The E1 tract, situated between East Jerusalem and the Israeli settlement of Maale Adumim, is often described as the “gateway” to Jerusalem for Palestinians. Its development would not only sever territorial continuity but also limit Palestinian access to East Jerusalem, their political and cultural hub. For this reason, the E1 settlement has been repeatedly condemned by the international community, which views it as a direct threat to any viable Palestinian state.
UK protest: Israel E1 settlement condemned
Furthermore, on Thursday, Britain summoned Israeli ambassador to the UK Tzipi Hotovely to the foreign ministry and voiced its protest against Israel’s plans in the E1 settlement area. This move underscores the growing frustration among European allies who see settlement expansion as a deliberate attempt to foreclose the possibility of peace.
The UK foreign office stated that if Israel carried out these E1 settlement plans, it would blatantly violate international law and split a future Palestinian state in two, severely weakening the prospects for a two-state solution.https://www.ewn.co.za/2025/08/22/21-countries-sign-joint-statement-condemning-israels-west-bank-settlement-project
The E1 settlement project, located on a sensitive strip of land between East Jerusalem and Maale Adumim, has drawn widespread international condemnation. UN officials, including Philippe Lazzarini, warned that construction in E1 would “fully isolate the northern and central West Bank from the southern West Bank,” breaking territorial continuity and making a future Palestinian state “gradually unreachable.”
The project is seen as especially dangerous because it would cut off Palestinian access to East Jerusalem, their political and cultural center, while entrenching Israeli control over the area.
Britain joined the chorus of opposition by summoning Israeli ambassador Tzipi Hotovely to the Foreign Office to protest the plans. The UK stressed that advancing the E1 settlement would constitute a flagrant violation of international law and would effectively split a future Palestinian state in two, further eroding the already fragile prospects for a two-state solution.
About the Author
