29 US Democratic senators urge Israel to halt E1 development
Twenty-nine US Democratic senators have called on Israel to halt the proposed construction in the E1 area between Jerusalem and Maale Adumim. According to the lawmakers, development of the territory could seriously harm the prospects for establishing a Palestinian state, according to an op-ed in The Jerusalem Post.
Senators’ position
In their appeal, the senators stated the need to preserve the US commitment to the two-state framework, which is intended to ensure lasting peace and security for Israel and a future Palestinian state.
Supporters of Palestinian statehood oppose construction in E1 because they believe it would sever the corridor between Ramallah and Bethlehem and undermine the territorial continuity of a future Palestinian state.
The E1 area is located outside Jerusalem and falls within the jurisdiction of Maale Adumim, an Israeli city with a population of about 40,000 people. Column author Eric R. Mandel notes that the territory is part of Area C, where, under the Oslo Accords, Israel retains planning and zoning authority.
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The author’s security arguments
Mandel, director of the Middle East Political Information Network and senior security editor at The Jerusalem Report, called the start of construction in E1 at this time untimely. In his view, it could create unnecessary political confrontation between Israel and the United States ahead of the elections.
At the same time, the author believes that the discussion about E1 should not be reduced solely to residential development. He emphasizes the strategic importance of Highway 1, which, according to his description, runs east of Jerusalem through Maale Adumim and E1 to the Jordan Valley and connects Israel’s coastal population centers with the eastern border.
According to Mandel, the key issue is the possible transfer of this corridor under Palestinian security control. He links the area’s importance to the risks of arms and drug smuggling across the eastern border, tensions in the West Bank, and possible instability in Jordan.
