[News] Widespread condemnations erupt over Smotrich's E1 settlement plan

[Anti-Imperialist News]

english.almayadeen.net
<https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/widespread-condemnations-erupt-over-smotrich-s-e1-settlement>
Widespread condemnations erupt over Smotrich's E1 settlement plan
Al Mayadeen English
August 14, 2025
------------------------------

Palestinian factions and international actors condemn Bezalel Smotrich’s E1
settlement plan, which aims to sever the West Bank and derail Palestinian
statehood.

   - [image: Smotrich Condemnations]
   <https://alpha-en-media.almayadeen.net/media/image/2025/8/14/430c5abc-eb62-4b57-87d7-b32198f82ffb.jpg?v=3&width=1000>
   Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich holds a map that shows the E1
   settlement project during a press conference near the settlement of Maale
   Adumim, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Thursday, August 14, 2025. (*AP
   *Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)

As Western states prepare to recognize the State of Palestine in September
<https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/australia-to-recognize-a-palestinian-state--albanese-confirm>,
the Israeli government is pursuing plans to further the occupation of the
West Bank, rendering any possibility of the formation of a Palestinian
state impossible.

"Israel's" Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has officially advanced
the controversial
E1 settlement project
<https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/smotrich-approves-settlement-plans-to--bury-the-palestinian>,
a long-stalled construction plan that threatens to permanently alter the
geographic and political landscape of the occupied West Bank.

The plan includes over 3,400 settlement units
<https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/-israel--defies-law--approves-22-illegal-west-bank-settlemen>
connecting the illegal settlement of "Ma'ale Adumim" to occupied al-Quds,
effectively severing the West Bank into two, and blocking any possibility
of a contiguous Palestinian state.

E1, or "East 1," is a 12-square-kilometer area between occupied al-Quds and
the Israeli settlement of Ma'ale Adumim. For years, international
opposition kept the project frozen, due to its grave implications for
Palestinian statehood and violations of international law. The International
Court of Justice
<https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/icj---israel--is-an-occupation-power-violating-international>
ruled in 2024 that all settlement activities in the West Bank and East
al-Quds violate the Fourth Geneva Convention.

Smotrich
<https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/smotrich-says-lost-faith-in-netanyahu-over--half-measure--ga>
did not conceal the motive behind the plan, declaring, "This will bury the
idea of a Palestinian state," calling it the "final nail in the coffin" of
any idea of a Palestinian State. He emphasized that the plan was developed
in full coordination with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and with
support from the US.

Smotrich's announcement to begin the construction of E1 settlements
<https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/netanyahu-smotrich-deal--new-settlements-in-exchange-for-gaz>
sparked outrage in occupied Palestine and beyond.
Palestinian condemnations

Presidential spokesperson Nabil Abu Rudeineh condemned Smotrich's move,
affirming that all settlement activity is illegal under international law.
He warned that these plans, combined with the ongoing genocidal campaign,
will only fuel further instability. Abu Rudeineh also drew a direct link
between this expansionist policy and Netanyahu’s recent statements invoking
the idea of "Greater Israel."
Hamas: A colonial plan of ethnic cleansing

Hamas
<https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/hamas-urges-end-of-gaza-massacres--ethnic-cleansing-of-north>
warned that Smotrich’s plan aims to isolate al-Quds from its Palestinian
surroundings and block any future Palestinian state. It called the move
part of a broader effort to displace Palestinians and annex their lands
under a fascist Zionist agenda. Hamas described the plan as a genocidal
tool and urged all Palestinian factions to mobilize in resistance.
PFLP: A Talmudic Zionist project to erase Palestine

The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine
<https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/in-high-level-meeting-with-pflp--iran-reaffirms-support-for>
(PFLP) described the E1 project as a declaration of war on Palestinian
territory. It asserted that Netanyahu’s government has fully adopted
extremist religious Zionism and is driving an agenda of annexation and
forced displacement. The group called on the Palestinian leadership to
abandon reliance on negotiations and adopt a unified national resistance
strategy.
DFLP: Netanyahu exposes the Zionist project’s true face

The Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine
<https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/dflp-warns-icc-prosecutor-of--equating-executioner-and-victi>
(DFLP) condemned Netanyahu’s statements and UN speech that omitted the West
Bank from the map, interpreting them as confirmation of a plan to complete
the occupation and annexation of all Palestinian land. The DFLP credited
the Resistance in Gaza for gaining international recognition of Palestine
and denounced calls to disarm as surrender to occupation. It also called
for strengthening popular resistance to counter the ongoing annexation.
Resistance Committees: Call for uprising

The Resistance Committees in Palestine described Smotrich’s plan as a
colonial blueprint designed to bring in a million new settlers, confiscate
thousands of dunums, and erase any prospects for Palestinian sovereignty.
They called on Palestinians in the West Bank, al-Quds, and 1948 territories
to launch a widespread uprising to thwart Zionist ambitions and defend
Palestinian land.
Jordan condemns

Jordan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a scathing condemnation of the
plan, calling it a blatant attack on Palestinian rights and a severe breach
of international law. Spokesperson Sufyan Al-Qudah reaffirmed Jordan's
categorical rejection of Israeli control over occupied land, emphasizing
the plan’s danger to regional peace and the "Two-State solution."
European Commission condemns

The European Commission also voiced its opposition, declaring that the
annexation of parts of the West Bank
<https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/pastoral-settlement--new-weapon-for-displacement-in-west-ban>
by "Israel" is illegal under international law. A spokesperson reiterated
the EU's firm stance against the displacement and eviction of Palestinians,
emphasizing that such measures jeopardize the prospects for peace and a
viable "Two-State solution." The Commission urged "Israel" to halt all
settlement activity immediately.
International law and the E1 plan

The E1 settlement project continues to draw international condemnation. The
International Court of Justice has unequivocally stated that all
settlements in occupied territories are illegal. The project is seen by
legal experts, diplomats, and rights groups as a decisive blow to the
"Two-state solution" and a tool for forced demographic change.

Despite this, "Israel" presses forward, emboldened by US backing and
internal political consensus. As the situation escalates, Palestinian
Resistance, both institutional and grassroots, remains steadfast in its
opposition, framing the E1 project as an existential threat to the
Palestinian national cause.
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