Israel Delays Bids for Controversial Settlement Project.. What is the Reason?

- The Israeli government's legal advisor's office ordered a one-month extension for the deadline to submit bids in a controversial construction tender in the E1 area of the occupied West Bank, according to an Israeli official who spoke to Afaq News. The tender, which includes about 1,200 housing units, was scheduled to close a week before the Israeli elections set for October 27.

The legal advisor directed that the deadline be extended so that it closes after the elections, citing concerns that the timing of the tender could be exploited for electoral purposes. The E1 tenders were the focus of a decision made by the United Kingdom, France, Canada, and nine other European countries earlier this month to impose sanctions and trade restrictions on Israeli settlements.

British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband stated that these tenders represent "a crossing of a long-standing red line." The E1 area is part of a settlement project condemned by international entities, located between Jerusalem and the Ma'ale Adumim settlement, and the project would divide the West Bank into two parts, making the establishment of a geographically contiguous Palestinian state in the area nearly impossible.

For years, Israel has postponed planning and construction plans in the area due to intense international pressure. However, the right-wing government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has significantly accelerated the pace of settlement expansion in the West Bank, approving construction plans in the E1 area in 2025.

Last month, two tenders were announced; one for the construction of about 1,200 housing units, which is the tender that has now been postponed. The other tender concerns the construction of more than 2,100 housing units and is scheduled to open for bids two days before the election.

The ministers from the far right, Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben Gvir, strongly criticized the decision to postpone the submission of tenders, accusing the legal advisor of interfering in the electoral process. Smotrich stated that the tenders follow legal and proper procedures that began long before the elections.

The Mayor of Ma'ale Adumim, Guy Efrat, announced that he would appeal the decision to the Supreme Court. In a separate context, the Israeli Foreign Ministry canceled the diplomatic status of Dutch diplomats in Ramallah, which is considered the effective seat of the Palestinian Authority government in the West Bank, following the implementation of a Dutch order prohibiting the import and sale of settlement products last week.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gidon Sa'ar had ordered last month the closure of the British consulate in East Jerusalem in response to the sanctions, and also ordered the expulsion of the British and Dutch delegations from the International Gaza Support Center in Kiryat Gat.