Israeli Actors Should Face a Choice: Building in E1 or Business with Europe

Israeli Actors Should Face a Choice: Building in E1 or Business with Europe | International Crisis Group

* About Us
+ Who We Are
+ How We Work
+ Our Impact
+ Financials
+ Support Us
+ Careers
* Early Warning
+ Crisiswatch
+ eEARTH
* Events
+ Upcoming Events
+ Event Recordings
* Multimedia
+ Podcasts
- Afrique 360
- Hold Your Fire
- Ripple Effect
- The Horn
- War & Peace
+ Video
+ Photography
+ Visual Explainers
* Translations
+ عربي (AR)
+ Español (ES)
+ Français (FR)
+ Other Translations
* Contact Us
+ Contacts
+ For Journalists

DonateSubscribe

Israeli Actors Should Face a Choice: Building in E1 or Business with Europe

* Share
+ Facebook
+ Twitter
+ Email
* Save
* MORE
+ Print

Israeli Actors Should Face a Choice: Building in E1 or Business with Europe

* About Us
* Early Warning
* Events
* Multimedia
* Translations
* Contact Us
* Latest Updates
* Regional Programs
* Global Issues & Institutions

* Back to Main Menu
* Africa
* Asia-Pacific
* Europe
* Latin America & Caribbean
* Middle East & North Africa
* United States
* Back to Main Menu
* Global Issues & Institutions
* !CrisisWatch
CrisisWatch

* !eEARTH
eEARTH

* !From Early Warning to Early Action
From Early Warning to Early Action

* !Gender & Conflict
Gender & Conflict

* !Global Order and Peacemaking
Global Order and Peacemaking

* !Multilateral Diplomacy
Multilateral Diplomacy

* Back to Main Menu
* About Us
* Who We Are
* How We Work
* Our Impact
* Financials
* Support Us
* Careers

* Back to Main Menu
* Early Warning
* Crisiswatch
* eEARTH

* Back to Main Menu
* Events
* Upcoming Events
* Event Recordings

* Back to Main Menu
* Multimedia
* Podcasts
* Video
* Photography
* Visual Explainers

* Back to Main Menu
* Translations
* عربي (AR)
* Español (ES)
* Français (FR)
* Other Translations

* Back to Main Menu
* Contact Us
* Contacts
* For Journalists

* Back to Programs
* AfricaView Program
* African Union & Regional Bodies
* Central Africa
* East and Southern Africa
* Great Lakes
* Horn of Africa
* Sahel
* West Africa
* Countries
* Angola
* Burkina Faso
* Burundi
* Cameroon
* Central African Republic
* Chad
* Côte d’Ivoire
* Democratic Republic of Congo
* Eritrea
* Ethiopia
* Guinea
* Guinea-Bissau
* Kenya
* Liberia
* Madagascar
* Mali
* Mozambique
* Niger
* Nigeria
* Republic of Congo
* Rwanda
* Sierra Leone
* Somalia
* South Africa
* South Sudan
* Sudan
* Uganda
* Zimbabwe
* Featured
Sudan’s War Risks Fracturing Eastern Chad

* Back to Programs
* Asia-PacificView Program
* China-U.S.
* North East Asia
* South Asia
* South East Asia
* Countries
* Afghanistan
* Bangladesh
* China
* India
* Korean Peninsula
* Myanmar
* Nepal
* Pakistan
* Philippines
* South China Sea
* Sri Lanka
* Taiwan Strait
* Thailand
* Featured
Policing the Bangsamoro: Peace in the Southern Philippines

* Back to Programs
* EuropeView Program
* Balkans
* Caucasus
* European Union
* Western Europe/Mediterranean
* Countries
* Armenia
* Armenian-Azerbaijani Conflict
* Azerbaijan
* Bosnia And Herzegovina
* Cyprus
* Georgia
* Kosovo
* Moldova
* Montenegro
* Russia
* Serbia
* Türkiye
* Ukraine
* Featured
Israeli Actors Should Face a Choice: Building in E1 or Business with Europe

* Back to Programs
* Latin America & CaribbeanView Program
* Amazon
* Andes
* Central America
* Countries
* Bolivia
* Brazil
* Colombia
* Cuba
* Ecuador
* El Salvador
* Guatemala
* Haiti
* Honduras
* Mexico
* Nicaragua
* Venezuela
* Featured
How Drones are Changing Colombia’s Conflict

* Back to Programs
* Middle East & North AfricaView Program
* East Mediterranean (MENA)
* Gulf and Arabian Peninsula
* North Africa
* Countries
* Algeria
* Bahrain
* Egypt
* Iran
* Iraq
* Israel/Palestine
* Jordan
* Lebanon
* Libya
* Oman
* Qatar
* Saudi Arabia
* Syria
* Tunisia
* United Arab Emirates
* Western Sahara
* Yemen
* Featured
Israeli Actors Should Face a Choice: Building in E1 or Business with Europe

* Back to Programs
* United StatesView Program
* Countries
* Featured
Hollow Promises: Resetting Gaza’s Ceasefire

* Back
* Podcasts
* Afrique 360
* Hold Your Fire
* Ripple Effect
* The Horn
* War & Peace

DonateSubscribe

* Latest Updates
* Africa
* Asia-Pacific
* Europe
* Latin America & Caribbean
* Middle East & North Africa
* United States
* Global Issues & Institutions
* My Reading List
*

* Africa
View Program

* African Union & Regional BodiesCentral AfricaEast and Southern AfricaGreat LakesHorn of AfricaSahelWest Africa
* Countries
AngolaBurkina FasoBurundiCameroonCentral African RepublicChadCôte d’IvoireDemocratic Republic of CongoEritreaEthiopiaGuineaGuinea-BissauKenyaLiberiaMadagascarMaliMozambiqueNigerNigeriaRepublic of CongoRwandaSierra LeoneSomaliaSouth AfricaSouth SudanSudanUgandaZimbabwe

* Featured
Sudan’s War Risks Fracturing Eastern Chad

* Asia-Pacific
View Program

* North East AsiaSouth AsiaSouth East Asia
* Countries
AfghanistanBangladeshChinaIndiaKorean PeninsulaMyanmarNepalPakistanPhilippinesSouth China SeaSri LankaTaiwan StraitThailand

* Featured
Policing the Bangsamoro: Peace in the Southern Philippines

* Europe
View Program

* BalkansCaucasusEuropean UnionWestern Europe/Mediterranean
* Countries
ArmeniaArmenian-Azerbaijani ConflictAzerbaijanBosnia And HerzegovinaCyprusGeorgiaKosovoMoldovaMontenegroRussiaSerbiaTürkiyeUkraine

* Featured
Israeli Actors Should Face a Choice: Building in E1 or Business with Europe

* Latin America & Caribbean
View Program

* AmazonAndesCentral America
* Countries
BoliviaBrazilColombiaCubaEcuadorEl SalvadorGuatemalaHaitiHondurasMexicoNicaraguaVenezuela

* Featured
How Drones are Changing Colombia’s Conflict

* Middle East & North Africa
View Program

* East Mediterranean (MENA)Gulf and Arabian PeninsulaNorth Africa
* Countries
AlgeriaBahrainEgyptIranIraqIsrael/PalestineJordanLebanonLibyaOmanQatarSaudi ArabiaSyriaTunisiaUnited Arab EmiratesWestern SaharaYemen

* Featured
Israeli Actors Should Face a Choice: Building in E1 or Business with Europe

* United States
View Program

*
* Countries
* Featured
Hollow Promises: Resetting Gaza’s Ceasefire

* Global Issues & Institutions
* CrisisWatch
* eEARTH
* From Early Warning to Early Action
* Gender & Conflict
* Global Order and Peacemaking
* Multilateral Diplomacy

* Latest Updates
* Africa
* Asia-Pacific
* Europe
* Latin America & Caribbean
* Middle East & North Africa
* United States
* Global Issues & Institutions
* My Reading List
*

!Israeli far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich holds a map of an area near the settlement of Maale Adumim, a land corridor known as E1, outside Jerusalem in the occupied West Bank, on August 14, 2025, after a press conference at the site.

Israeli far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich holds a map of an area near the settlement of Maale Adumim, a land corridor known as E1, outside Jerusalem in the occupied West Bank, on August 14, 2025, after a press conference at the site. Menahem Kahana / AFP

**Statement** / Middle East & North Africa04 September 2026**8 minutes**

Israeli Actors Should Face a Choice: Building in E1 or Business with Europe

Israel’s new settlement construction plans threaten to split the occupied West Bank, poking a finger in the eye of those who support Palestinian statehood. With the Trump administration largely keeping mum, responsibility to try stopping this project falls most heavily on European governments.

* Share
+ BlueSky
+ Email
+ Facebook
+ Linkedin
+ Twitter
+ Whatsapp
* Save
* Print

Related Tags

* Israel/Palestine
* Europe
* United States

On 18 August, Israel’s Ministry of Housing issued a call for tenders for 1,234 housing units in E1, a 12 sq km area in the occupied West Bank that lies between Jerusalem and the large Israeli settlement of Ma’ale Adumim. For years, Israel had refrained from settling this part of the West Bank due to international pressure, notably from successive U.S. administrations, which feared that building i