The possibility of a game-changing series of Israeli settlements east of Jerusalem has raised alarm bells in various departments of the Palestinian government. The area in question, commonly referred to as E1, threatens to physically cut off from the north and the south of the West Bank from one another.
Palestinian worries were further triggered when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told his Cabinet Jan. 24 that Israel will give “unconditional support” to the building of West Bank settlements. Netanyahu’s statement also coincided with revelations by the Israeli group Peace Now of plans for new settlements that will be built in sensitive areas of the occupied territories.