Warning to Israel: Sanctions possible even before the elections
A new tender for the construction of about 1,200 housing units in the E1 area is causing a stir in Europe, which claims that Israel committed not to build in the area beyond the Green Line. Germany, France, the UK, and Italy are discussing how to act, but fear that imposing sanctions at this time would actually strengthen Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of the elections. UN Secretary-General: "An existential threat to the two-state solution."
"Israel explicitly promised its friends in Europe that there would be no progress in the construction of E1. Therefore, this is a crossing of a red line and a very bad development." This was said today, Wednesday, by a European diplomat following a tender published by the Ministry of Construction for the building of 1,234 housing units in the E1 area, located beyond the Green Line, between Jerusalem and Ma'ale Adumim. According to the tender conditions, the deadline for submitting bids is October 19, about a week before the elections.
According to the diplomat, the publication of the tender caused a stir among diplomatic circles in Europe and may lead European countries, and even the UK, to consider imposing sanctions against Israel even before the elections. The E1 area is considered one of the most sensitive politically due to its strategic location. Extensive Israeli construction in the area could, according to its opponents, cut off the northern West Bank from its south, isolate East Jerusalem, and prevent the creation of Palestinian contiguity between Ramallah, East Jerusalem, and Bethlehem.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also expressed "deep concern" over reports of the establishment of new Israeli outposts in the West Bank and the publication of additional tenders in the E1 area. Guterres warned that construction in the area would sever the connection between the north and south of the West Bank, and that "this would have serious consequences for the territorial integrity of the occupied Palestinian territory and would constitute an existential threat to the two-state solution." He called on Israel to refrain from further steps and to act in accordance with relevant UN resolutions and the opinion of the International Court of Justice.
Last year, the government already approved a plan for the construction of 3,401 housing units in the area, but the promotion of tenders for its implementation was delayed several times against the backdrop of international opposition and diplomatic pressure. In May of this year, 11 countries — Italy, the UK, France, Germany, Norway, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Spain, Belgium, and the Netherlands — published a joint statement calling on contractors not to participate in construction tenders in the settlements. The countries warned companies of possible legal and reputational consequences of participating in construction in the settlements, including the risk of involvement in violating international law.
When promoting the plan last year, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich himself presented the construction in E1 as a move intended to thwart the possibility of establishing a Palestinian state. "The idea of a Palestinian state has been erased," he said then. According to the European diplomat, a discussion is currently taking place in Europe on whether to respond with measures against Israel already in the period before the elections, but some countries fear that sanctions at this time would actually strengthen Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the right-wing ministers in his government, including Itamar Ben Gvir and Smotrich. The diplomat estimated that Minister Smotrich is the one behind the promotion of the tender, knowing that the move could lead to a European response. "He is doing it for political reasons," he said.
"In the first stage, we will soon see a very sharp condemnation statement from the E4, the body that unites the four strong European countries: Germany, France, the UK, and Italy." The European diplomat warned that from the perspective of European countries, the promotion of construction in E1 is a development that could justify a significant change in policy towards Israel. "Construction in E1 is simply unacceptable," he said. "It seems that Benjamin Netanyahu is doing everything to destroy Israel's foreign relations and lose your last friends."
