Israel's Housing and Construction Ministry issued a statement calling for construction bids for a highway from Jerusalem to nearby Maaleh Adumim, a settlement-colony of about 35,000.
Development of this area, known as the E1 corridor, is opposed internationally. The United States has stated opposition as well.
This road will be joining the network of roads and other infrastructure that are aimed at consolidating Israel's control of Jerusalem and precluding the possibility of territorial contiguity in the case a Palestinian state comes about.
The current pattern of construction is aimed to further cement Israel's colonization of the area around Jerusalem.
The ministry considers the project not to be a violation of the government's agreed-to freeze on West Bank housing construction, which is due to lapse next month. It reasoned that the current settlement construction freeze does not apply to development designed to serve existing buildings.
However, Israel has also put up new buildings with several settlements, including Maaleh Adumim, since the start of the freeze. So Israel's operative understanding of the freeze is still not clear, even as it comes to a close.
While the United States pushes for direct talks, such construction clearly undermines the spirit and intents of those efforts. So far the United States' opposition to the project delayed it. Unless it follows some backroom deal, this represents an Israeli challenge to the American position.
Photo by: Shaul Arieli
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