Israel is moving forward on a long-delayed residential construction project east of Jerusalem that has far-reaching political implications, while separately advancing a large housing expansion in Karnei Shomron (Samaria), (a town that is in easy commuting distance for many Israelis), aimed at meeting population growth needs.
The Housing Ministry has issued a tender for 3,401 housing units in the E1 corridor, the area between Jerusalem and Ma’ale Adumim. Construction firms have until March 16 to submit bids.
The E1 project has long been regarded as “diplomatically sensitive” because development in this area blocks the creation of a “Palestinian state” with Jerusalem as its capital. By establishing continuous Israeli urban territory east of Jerusalem, E1 prevents the geographic division of the capital and eliminates the possibility of a “Palestinian” corridor severing Jerusalem from its eastern suburbs.
The E1 tender represents a strategic turning point around Jerusalem itself. After years of diplomatic hesitation, Israel has now moved the project from political argument into the implementation phase—where facts on the ground, not statements, determine the future. We pray that this process continues to its logical and practical end – an undivided Greater Jerusalem!