OMM Newsroom
Israel will open bidding on Dec. 1 for 2,167 homes in the E1 settlement project east of occupied East Jerusalem, three Israeli rights organizations said Tuesday, according to Anadolu Agency.
Ir Amim, Bimkom and Peace Now said bids would be accepted until Dec. 28. They described the timetable as evidence that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government is determined to advance the project while it remains in power.
The groups said homes were demolished and additional demolition orders issued on Nov. 3 in a Palestinian Bedouin community within the project area. They warned that preparations for construction were already underway before bidding opened.
A separate tender for another 1,234 homes in E1 closed shortly before the Oct. 27 election. A review of those bids was postponed until Nov. 19 on the attorney general’s instructions, to prevent their use in election campaigning.
The organizations said they asked the attorney general on Monday to delay the review until a new government takes office. They warned that once bids are reviewed and contracts signed, stopping construction would become much harder.
The E1 project would separate occupied East Jerusalem from Palestinian communities to its east and disrupt territorial links between the northern and southern West Bank.
The project has faced widespread international opposition, with governments warning that it jeopardizes prospects for a viable Palestinian state.
