High Representative/Vice President Josep Borrell
European Commission
Dear Dr. Borrell,
I am writing to alert you to the renewed Israeli plans to build large-scale settlement housing in the E1 area of the West Bank. The strategic importance of E1 is well known. If Israel is allowed to proceed, it will bisect the West Bank form North to South and thereby destroy the possibility of creating an independent Palestinian state.
Netanyahu is probably doing this now as a double distraction. In Israel, he wants to distract people from his failure to annex the Jordan Valley and his his corruption trial. Outside Israel, he wants to use the annexation issue and the UAE agreement to distract people from his plans to build in E1.
The linked “Objection to Building a New Settlement in E1” from Peace Now, and the summary document, provide details of the plans. Construction tenders could be issued in as little as six months.
We urge the Commission to make clear to the Israeli government that settlement building in E1 will be met with serious adverse consequences for Israel.
Yours sincerely,
Dror Feiler, Chair, EJJP, Judar för Israelisk-Palestinsk Fred, Stockholm
Arthur Goodman, Parliamentary and Diplomatic Liaison Officer, Jews for Justice for Palestinians, London
c.c.
Susanna Terstal, Special Representative for the Middle East Peace Process
Neil Mac Call, Head of Division (MENA.2)
links: https://peacenow.org.il/en/objection-to-building-a-new-settlement-in-e1
and http://peacenow.org.il/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/E1_Objection_Eng.pdf