Israel's plan for the so-called E1 area on the Israeli-occupied West Bank has been given the green light, reports the newspaper Haaretz.
The approved expansion of the Israeli settlement Ma'ale Adumim is expected to have dramatic consequences for a future two-state solution. In practice, the measure means that the Palestinian area is divided into two.
The Palestinian state is being erased – not with slogans, but with actions, says the far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich according to Haaretz.
In total, it involves thousands of new Israeli homes. The EU has previously warned of far-reaching consequences if Israel's plans are implemented.
"Israel's decision to proceed with the settlement plan further undermines the two-state solution while violating international law", said the Union's Foreign Minister Kaja Kallas in a statement last week.
Ma'ale Adumim was founded in the 70s and today has over 30,000 inhabitants. However, it has not yet been built up so much that the northern and southern West Bank have been separated from each other. It is considered a fundamental requirement for a Palestinian state-building that Ramallah, north of Jerusalem, and Bethlehem south of it are geographically connected.
Earlier in August, in response to several countries announcing their intention to recognize Palestine as a state, Smotrich said that "Europe's hypocritical leaders will not have anything to recognize" in September.
