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The Civil Administration Advances Road Infrastructure in Greater Jerusalem Signaling Israeli Intent to Move Forward with E1 Settlement
20 April 2023
On April 3, the Subcommittee for Road Infrastructure in the Civil Administration’s Supreme Planning Council discussed several road plans that are necessary for actualizing the "Greater Jerusalem" vision, constituting a major step towards de-facto annexation of this area. The concept entails the expansion of settlements around the periphery of Jerusalem and connecting them to the city to create one large, interconnected network of settlements and metropolitan area.

The session included discussions on building permits for interchanges in the E1 area along with a new road plan for the area of Atarot/Qalandia and the settlements northeast of Jerusalem. While no minutes have been published as of today, and the decisions are not yet known, it is likely that all three items have been approved.

Interchange Linking Maaleh Adumim/E1 to Jerusalem
The sub-committee discussed a construction permit for the expansion of the interchange connecting Maaleh Adumim and the E1 area to the main highway leading to Jerusalem. The permit is based on plan 908/3, which was approved 20 years ago. The expansion of the interchange appears to be intended to accommodate the volume of traffic that will increase after Israeli construction in E1.

"Fabric of Life" Road to Divert Palestinian Traffic from E1
The discussion on the permit coincided with the Civil Administration's announcement from last week that it is advancing planning for a road that will extend Route 4370 (known as the “Apartheid Road”) southwards from the vicinity of Az Zay'im to Al-Izzariyya. In its announcement, the Civil Administration stated it would be carrying out excavation work to survey the land for continued planning of the road. Construction of the road, which Israel has wanted to advance for years, constitutes a major step in laying the groundwork for settlement building in the E1 area.

Coined the “Fabric of Life” road, the Israeli government portrays it as a project to benefit Palestinians by expediting traffic and reducing travel time between Ramallah and Bethlehem, yet it will in fact serve to completely reroute Palestinian traffic out of E1. Currently, the only road which facilitates Palestinian travel between the two West Bank centers runs through the E1 area. This limits Israel's ability to carry out its massive settlement plans in the vicinity, which would require blocking Palestinian access to the area. This new road along with Route 4370 will create an alternative corridor between Ramallah and Bethlehem, which would eliminate the need for Palestinians to drive through E1 altogether. Diverting Palestinian traffic thus removes one of the obstacles to settlement construction in E1.

Moreover, such developments will enable the Israeli government to change the route of the Separation Barrier in this area and move the checkpoints several kilometers eastward. This will allow Israel to include Maaleh Adumim and E1 on the Israeli side of the barrier, which would remove the need for settler traffic to pass through any checkpoints.

These moves will ultimately create a wedge of Israeli settlements that penetrates some 10 kilometers beyond the Green Line into the West Bank, effectively bifurcating the northern and southern parts of the West Bank and detaching it from East Jerusalem.
 
Advancement of E1 Settlement Plans
As such, construction in E1 has long been considered a major international redline due to its irreparable impact on the prospects of a two-state framework with two capitals in Jerusalem. For years, the E1 settlement plans had been frozen due to strong bipartisan US and international opposition until early 2020. At the time, Prime Minister Netanyahu instructed the promotion of two plans (TPS YOSH 420-4-7, TPS YOSH 420-4-10) in E1 for a total of 3,412 housing units as part of his 2020 re-election bid and within the framework of the government's accelerated steps towards annexation.

Since then, the plans have advanced and are currently pending final approval. Over the past year, the Civil Administration has repeatedly postponed the final discussion on the plans reportedly due to international pressure. Now, the discussion has been rescheduled and set for June 12.

The promotion of this road infrastructure alongside the re-scheduling of the session on the E1 plans clearly indicates the Israeli government's intent to move forward with the settlement despite international pushback.

It should also be noted that these plans are directly related to the state’s desire to evict the Khan Al Ahmar community located near E1. The Regavim settler organization filed a petition to the Supreme Court demanding the immediate evacuation and demolition of Khan al-Ahmar. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich is one of the founders of the organization and has actively called for the village’s removal along with other current coalition members. The next hearing on the petition is expected to take place on May 1, 2023.

Interchange between Jerusalem Road, Maaleh Adumim and the Eastern Ring Road
The Subcommittee likewise discussed a construction permit for an interchange that will connect the Jerusalem Road to Maaleh Adumim and the Eastern Ring Road that leads to southern Jerusalem. The interchange is part of the construction of the northern section of the Eastern Ring Road--the cost of which is estimated at one billion shekels.

The road is expected to primarily serve the residents of the settlements around Jerusalem. It will link the settlements in the Gush Etzion bloc located in the Bethlehem area south of Jerusalem to Maaleh Adumim and E1, east of Jerusalem and continue northwards to the settlements in the Ramallah area.

Road Plan to Connect Jerusalem to Settlements Northeast of the City
During the same discussion, the Subcommittee also discussed plan 926/1, which calls for a road that would enable a new connection between Jerusalem and the settlements northeast of the city (i.e. Ofra-Beit El). The new road will lead from Route 60 north of Jerusalem through a tunnel that will enter the city under the Qalandiya checkpoint.

Around two years ago, the committee discussed objections to the road plan and decided to reject them while introducing several changes to the plan. Although it is unclear what took place during this current session, the assumption is that the plan is close to final approval.
The yellow arrow in the north of the map marks the road connecting Jerusalem with the Ofra-Beit El settlements. The yellow circle between Az Zay'im to Al-Izzariyya marks the planned interchange for the extension of the "Apartheid Road."  The red circle between E1 and Maaleh Adumim indicates the planned interchange for this area.

Please address all inquiries to:

Amy Cohen
Director of International Relations & Advocacy
Ir Amim (City of Nations/City of Peoples)
Jerusalem
amy@ir-amim.org.il
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