Israel Begins Building in E1
Israel has begun building in the E1 area between Jerusalem and Maaleh Adumim. So much for territorial contiguity. Building in E1 will cut the West Bank in half, effectively ending any possibility of a viable Palestinian state. The US, apparently, did not object, though on the other hand, Maaleh Adumim mayor Benny Kashriel thinks it’s an election ploy. In any event, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid.
If the building is between Jerusalem and Ma’aleh Edumim, how exactly does it cut the WB in half? By my estimate, the distance between the eastern edge of the Ma’ale Edumim Industrial Zone (which is east of Ma’ale Edumim itself) to the Jordan is 15-20 km. That’s more than the distance between the West Bank and the Mediterranean in the Kfar Saba region, but I don’t see you objecting to the two-state solution on the grounds it would cut Israel in half.
What Eyal said. Just because Beilin whines that this ruins contiguity, that doesn’t make it so.