Four European powers demand Israel scrap E1 West Bank settlement tender

Joint European statement

On 20 August 2026, the governments of Germany, France, the United Kingdom, and Italy released a joint declaration condemning Israel's decision to advance the E1 settlement project in the West Bank. The four European nations called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's administration to immediately withdraw the building tenders and halt further settlement expansion. The joint declaration stated that the international community has long opposed settlement expansion through confidential and public diplomatic channels. According to the four governments, Israeli settlements in the West Bank violate international law, a stance affirmed by the United Nations Security Council. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and leaders in London, Paris, and Rome stated that the decision causes severe concern during a period marked by settler violence against civilians and economic restrictions on Palestinians.

Scope of the E1 housing project

The dispute follows an announcement by the Israeli Ministry of Construction and Housing, which published tenders late on Tuesday for more than 1,200 residential units on unbuilt land east of Jerusalem. The E1 project encompasses several square kilometers between East Jerusalem and the Israeli settlement of Ma'ale Adumim. Across its full scope, the master plan envisions the construction of approximately 3,400 apartments in the sector. Palestinian officials have described E1 as a division plan, stating that building on the site splits the West Bank into two separate sections and disrupts the geographic and demographic continuity of Palestinian territory. The West Bank holds roughly three million Palestinians alongside more than 500,000 Israeli settlers living under military control established in 1967.

Warnings to private corporations

In their joint statement, the four European powers included an explicit warning directed at commercial entities considering bids for the construction contracts. The governments urged private enterprises to assess the legal and reputational hazards of participating in the tenders, noting the risk of involvement in violations of international law. The diplomatic pushback also follows other recent Israeli administrative initiatives in the area, including a land registration process classifying parts of the West Bank as state property. European officials warned that advancing the construction corridor damages prospects for a negotiated two-state resolution to the conflict.

Diplomatic fallout and Israeli response

The joint declaration capped multiple days of diplomatic friction between European capitals and Jerusalem. On Wednesday, British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband condemned the tender as destructive, while the United Kingdom summoned the Israeli charge d'affaires in London to register formal objections. Miliband also condemned settler violence in the territory, while governments in Egypt and Jordan criticized the development for isolating East Jerusalem from surrounding Palestinian communities. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar rejected the European statements on Thursday, defending the construction plans on social media.

The Jewish people have the right to live in the entire Land of Israel, just as the British have the right to live in London and throughout the United Kingdom.

Saar maintained that the Jewish people hold a right to re-establish their national home in the area and accused European critics of ignoring Palestinian extremism.