TPC Staff
The Palestine Chronicle / August 29, 2026
Twenty-nine Democratic senators have urged Israel to withdraw construction tenders for E1, warning the project would further fragment the occupied West Bank.
A group of 29 Democratic US senators has urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to cancel plans for expanded settlement construction in the E1 area of the occupied West Bank, warning that the project would further divide Palestinian territory.
In a statement led by Democratic Senator Ruben Gallego of Arizona, the lawmakers criticized Israel’s decision to open bidding for construction in the strategically sensitive area east of occupied Jerusalem.
“The United States must remain committed to a two-state solution that delivers lasting peace and security for both the Jewish, democratic State of Israel and for a future Palestinian state,” the senators wrote.
“Construction in E1 would take us further away from that goal,” they added.
Israel’s Construction and Housing Ministry opened bidding for the project on August 18. The deadline for bids is October 19.
The current project consists of seven residential compounds containing a total of 1,234 housing units.
‘Rescind these tenders’
The Democratic senators called explicitly for the Israeli government to reverse course.
“We urge the Israeli government to immediately rescind these tenders, halt settlement expansion in the West Bank, and take urgent action to rein in settler violence,” they wrote.
E1 has faced international opposition for decades because of its location between occupied East Jerusalem and the illegal Israeli settlement of Ma’ale Adumim.
The senators warned that construction there could further separate East Jerusalem from major Palestinian population centers, including Ramallah to the north and Bethlehem to the south.
“For decades, Republican and Democratic administrations have recognized that development in E1 would seriously jeopardize the prospects for a Palestinian state,” they said.
“That concern remains just as urgent today.”
Growing opposition to E1
The intervention adds to mounting international pressure over Israel’s decision to advance the project.
The UK, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Canada and Norway have also condemned the E1 plans and urged companies not to participate in the construction tenders.
Palestinians have similarly warned companies against bidding, arguing that direct or indirect involvement in the settlement project could expose them to legal consequences under international law.
Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, are illegal under international law.
The E1 project has remained largely stalled for decades because of sustained international opposition, but Israel has taken significant steps toward advancing construction under Netanyahu’s far-right government.
(Anadolu, US Media, TPC)
